The Baltimore Orioles have been a top team in the offseason so far, and have made plenty of big splashes, with the biggest being signing All-Star slugger Pete Alonso. However, they did have a huge whiff, losing their top pitching target, All-Star Framber Valdez, to the Detroit Tigers.
Fansided’s Christopher Kline predicts that the O’s will go with signing All-Star ace Zac Gallen as their Plan B, who they’ve been linked to for a while.
“The Baltimore Orioles felt like the prohibitive favorites to sign Valdez for a while, so this comes as a blow…Shane Baz’s arrival is a fun wrinkle, and Baltimore fans will hope for an extension of Trevor Rogers’ 2025 success and a return to form from Kyle Bradish. But even the best-case outcome for this current O’s rotation probably does not get them far into October. There aren’t any surefire aces left in free agency at this point, and color me skeptical of Baltimore swinging a blockbuster trade for Tarik Skubal. Zac Gallen, however, is their best bet — and he’s clearly within their reach,” Kline wrote.
This past season, Gallen posted a 13-15 record, a 4.83 ERA, 175 Ks, and a WHIP of 1.260 over 192 innings pitched. However, just two seasons ago, he was third place for the Cy Young, where he pitched in 34 games, one of which was a shutout, and posted a record of 17-9, an ERA of 3.47, 220 Ks, and a WHIP of 1.119 in 210 innings pitched.
If that Gallen is the one to come to play, the O’s definitely need him. Plus, he’d be much cheaper than Valdez, who signed a three-year, $115 million deal with Detroit. Right now, Gallen is projected to receive a four-year, $75 million deal, and since he has a non-existent market with free agency coming to a close, Baltimore could get him for a better price.
Hopefully, this is the move the O’s choose to make, and make it quick, as another team might have the same idea.
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