Free-agent right-hander Justin Verlander is receiving interest from several clubs, according to people briefed on his market. One team, in particular, is intriguing: the Baltimore Orioles.
Verlander, who turns 43 next month, is from Virginia. He knows Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias from their time together with the Houston Astros in 2017 and ’18. And the Orioles are still trying to add another starting pitcher, preferably one at or near the top of the rotation, in free agency or trade.
A deal between Verlander and the Orioles is not close. For now, the Orioles almost certainly are aiming higher. Their signing last offseason of another 40-something former Astro, Charlie Morton, did not turn out well. Yet another former Astro, left-hander Framber Valdez, 32, is the best remaining free-agent starter and perhaps the best fit for Baltimore.
Adding Valdez would top off a rotation that currently includes Trevor Rogers, Kyle Bradish, Dean Kremer and recent additions Shane Baz and Zach Eflin. But the Orioles likely face competition for Valdez from the New York Mets and other clubs. And they might be reluctant to part with additional young talent after giving up four prospects and a competitive balance pick for Baz. That pick is likely to be No. 34.
The signing of Valdez or right-hander Zac Gallen, both of whom rejected qualifying offers, would cost the Orioles another pick, their third-highest selection. The Detroit Tigers’ Tarik Skubal, Milwaukee Brewers’ Freddy Peralta and Washington Nationals’ MacKenzie Gore, the top available starters in trade, would command significant prospect hauls despite limited club control — Skubal and Peralta for one more season, Gore for two.
Verlander, then, could emerge as a potential fallback. In his first 16 starts last season, he struggled to a 4.99 ERA. But in his last 13 outings, his ERA was 2.60. He struck out 10 in five innings against the Orioles on Aug. 31 and held the Los Angeles Dodgers to one run in seven innings on Sept. 12. And after he wound up throwing 152 innings, despite missing nearly a month in the first half with a strained right pec.
What about Gallen?
One executive, granted anonymity for his candor, said Gallen might suffer from being one of the least attractive free agents among those who rejected qualifying offers. Players in that position, attached to draft-pick compensation, are vulnerable to getting squeezed in the market.
It happened last offseason to right-hander Nick Pivetta, who signed a four-year, $55 million contract with the San Diego Padres that included only $4 million guaranteed in Year 1, with opt-outs after years 2 and 3; and to outfielder Anthony Santander, whose five-year, $92.5 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays had heavy deferrals that lowered the net present value to $68.6 million.
This offseason, a record four players accepted the one-year, $22.025 million QO rather than risk a disappointing outcome. Those players — Trent Grisham, Shota Imanaga, Gleyber Torres and Brandon Woodruff — will be ineligible for a second qualifying offer.
Zac Gallen struck out a career-low 8.2 batters per nine innings in 2025. (Christian Petersen / Getty Images)
Gallen, 30, finished with a career-high 4.83 ERA for the Arizona Diamondbacks last season, and his strikeout rate dipped to a career-low 21.5 percent. His strikeout rate remained down in the final two months, but his results improved, as evidenced by his 3.32 ERA in his last 11 starts.
Some of Gallen’s other numbers are also encouraging. His expected ERA for the season, according to Statcast, was more than a half-run per nine innings below his actual number. His adjusted career ERA is a healthy 19 percent above league average.
The Athletic’s Tim Britton projected Gallen to receive a two-year, $42 million contract. Given the demand for quality starting pitching, Gallen still might do better than that. His former Diamondbacks teammate, righty Merrill Kelly, returned to Arizona on a two-year, $40 million deal. Kelly, seven years older than Gallen and with a lower adjusted career ERA, was not burdened by a qualifying offer.
At the very least, Gallen could follow the path of other recent Scott Boras clients who accepted short-term deals while saddled with draft-pick compensation, then fared better when unrestricted. The list includes Matt Chapman, Blake Snell, Pete Alonso and Alex Bregman.
Reds getting hit on their starters
Teams continue to reach out to the Cincinnati Reds about their starting pitchers, according to people briefed on their discussions. The Reds remain open to the possibility if the return improves them for the present and future. But rival clubs doubt their big arms — Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo and Andrew Abbott — are truly available.
To trade one of those starters — or even Brady Singer, whose trade value is the lowest as a pitcher earning $12.75 million and entering his final season of club control — the Reds almost certainly would need a major-league-ready starter in return. And they still want more offense, too.
The addition of a young starter would supplement Cincinnati’s group of emerging rotation candidates: Chase Burns, Rhett Lowder, Chase Petty, Brandon Williamson and Julian Aguiar, the latter two of whom are coming off Tommy John surgery.
Asked about his top four starters returning, Reds manager Terry Francona told reporters Friday at RedsFest: “It’s really good. There’s some room for competition, which is not a bad thing. As long as guys stay healthy, you don’t have guys who are making a team out of desperation. It’s like, well, they deserve it. And that’s way better.”
Around the horn
Information from major-league sources:
• Fresh off their stunning signing of free-agent right fielder Kyle Tucker, the Dodgers are expected to keep Teoscar Hernández and move him to left field.
As reported previously, Hernández’s name has surfaced in trade conversations. The Dodgers, however, are more likely to explore deals for outfielder Ryan Ward, a career minor leaguer who last season was MVP of the Pacific Coast League at 27, or right-hander Bobby Miller, who has been a disappointment.
• The Kansas City Royals are increasingly unlikely to land either of the two hitters they pursued in trades: the St. Louis Cardinals’ Brendan Donovan and Boston Red Sox’s Jarren Duran.
Barring further moves, the Royals expect to rely heavily on offseason acquisitions Isaac Collins and Lane Thomas in their outfield, as well as rookie Jac Caglianone and holdover Kyle Isbel.
Though the Royals’ outfield production might remain below average, their infield of Vinnie Pasquantino, Jonathan India, Bobby Witt Jr. and Maikel Garcia should again be one of the most productive in baseball, particularly if India bounces back.
• The Tampa Bay Rays had interest in J.T. Realmuto before the Philadelphia Phillies re-signed the free-agent catcher to a deal that was unrealistic for Tampa Bay: three years, $45 million.
The Rays, who made a three-team deal Thursday to land second baseman Gavin Lux from the Reds, continue to explore trades for catchers. The position has haunted them ever since they drafted Tim Beckham with the first pick of the 2008 MLB Draft.
Buster Posey went fifth to the San Francisco Giants, after Pedro Álvarez (Pittsburgh Pirates), Eric Hosmer (Kansas City) and Brian Matusz (Baltimore).