Orioles Predicted To Sign All-Star Left-Hander In Free Agency

The Baltimore Orioles have had a heck of an offseason already, but ESPN’s Paul Hembekides believes that Baltimore have one more big move up its sleeve.

Hembekides predicted that the Orioles will ultimately be the team that signs All-Star left-hander Framber Valdez in free agency.

“The Baltimore Orioles — yes, the Orioles — are about to win free agency,” Hembekides wrote on Friday.

“Baltimore has already committed $195 million to four free agents — Pete Alonso, Ryan Helsley, Zach Eflin and Leody Taveras — ranking sixth in spending thus far. But general manager Mike Elias, entering the final year of his contract, has one more haymaker left: Framber Valdez.”

“With Ranger Suárez landing $130 million over five years in Boston, Valdez projects to get around six years and $180 million — a deal that would vault the O’s past the Dodgers and Blue Jays as baseball’s top free agent spenders.”

Valdez had a solid 2025 season as the Houston Astros’ reliable left-handed hurler. In 31 starts, he posted a 13-11 record with a 3.66 ERA over 192 innings pitched. He struck out 187 batters while walking relatively few, finishing with a 1.24 WHIP and strong ground-ball tendencies that kept opponents in check.

His performance placed him among the league’s top starters in several categories, including innings logged and strikeouts (20th in MLB). Despite some early-season struggles, Valdez delivered consistent outings to help anchor the Astros’ rotation.

Career-wise, since debuting in 2017, Valdez has compiled an 81-52 record across 188 games (166 starts), with a 3.36 ERA, 1,053 strikeouts, and a 1.204 WHIP over 1,080 2/3 innings. He’s earned two All-Star selections, finished as a Cy Young contender in prior years, and contributed to the Astros’ 2022 World Series championship.

The 32-year-old remains a free agent after declining Houston’s qualifying offer.