Could Baltimore Orioles Be Landing Spot For Two-Time All-Star Ace?

Before the MLB trade deadline, the Baltimore Orioles need to bolster their rotation, and their strong farm system may allow them to add a major player.

The team needs to add starters after Tyler Wells and John Means suffered injuries, according to ESPN Insider Jeff Passan. He also alluded to the possibility of Framber Valdez, the ace pitcher for the Houston Astros, being traded.
Despite an intriguing 2024 that included an early injury and being shut out for eight runs in five innings by the Los Angeles Angels, Valdez has been excellent so far this season.

He has pitched 54.2 innings thus far with a 3.95 ERA and 1.244 WHIP. If you removed Nonetheless, he would have an ERA below 3.00 in the one game in which he was severely hit.

The southpaw has become one of baseball’s top pitchers, making an All-Star team each of the last two seasons.

Forcing batters to hit ground balls is how he gets out most of the time. He uses a sinker that moves more than the typical pitcher does. It’s both his most valuable and most frequently thrown pitch.

However, the regression of his breaking/offspeeed pitches has been a major factor in the 30-year-old’s decline this season.

For the previous few seasons, he has been able to depend on both his curveball and changeup, but he isn’t now enjoying the same level of success. It’s not good, but it’s not the end of the world either. He may just be going through a difficult moment at the moment, but in the past, he has demonstrated a really good ability to throw the ball.

Either way, the 2025 seasons may mark the end of his Houston career; but, the Astros may be persuaded to deal him before then.

Passan stated that although Houston does not make major moves quickly, they are aware that players with promising futures, like Kyle Tucker or Valdez, may decide to go.

Combining what the Orioles have to offer with what the Astros would probably need to accept a trade in the middle of a season is unusual for these kinds of deals, which often take place in the offseason.
Heston Kjerstad, Connor Norby, Dylan Beavers, and Enrique Bradfield Jr. are just a few examples of players who may be moving while still enabling Baltimore to hang onto its most prized players.

Both Chayce McDermott and Cade Povich have been playing at a level that should make them desirable pieces in a trade offer, should Houston prefer a pitcher.

The Orioles executive office’s perception of the need for another pitcher in the rotation will determine whether or not a deal is completed, even though the elements are there.