The Baltimore Orioles' search for starting pitching might be leading them to a future Hall of Famer.
Baltimore is among the teams showing interest in veteran right-hander Justin Verlander, sources told Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. However, the sides don't appear to be close to a deal, and the rest of Verlander's market remains unknown.
Verlander, who turns 43 in February, is coming off a solid 2025 season with the San Francisco Giants. After a slow start, he authored a dominant second half and finished the campaign with a 3.85 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, and 137 strikeouts across 29 starts. Those numbers marked a nice rebound from his career-worst 2024 campaign with the Houston Astors.
Baltimore is looking to return to contention following a disappointing last-place finish in 2025. Upgrading the rotation has emerged as a major need for the club, which has already acquired Shane Baz via trade and re-signed veteran Zach Eflin.
Still, it's clear the Orioles aren't satisfied with those additions. Beyond Verlander, Baltimore is reportedly pursuing left-hander Framber Valdez, arguably the best starter left in free agency. But the organization may not want to give up a compensatory draft pick to sign Valdez, who rejected the Astros' qualifying offer in November, according to Rosenthal.
With many top free-agent arms tied to draft-pick compensation and star trade targets likely demanding high-prospect costs, signing Verlander to a short-term deal could be Baltimore's best option. Even if he replicated his 2025 numbers, he'd give the Orioles a steady veteran presence with plenty of playoff experience at the back of the rotation.
Baltimore would also represent something of a homecoming for Verlander, who grew up almost three hours south of Camden Yards in Manakin-Sabot, Virginia. He's also familiar with the Orioles' president of baseball operations, Mike Elias, who was part of the Astros' front office when they traded for him in 2017 en route to a World Series title.
Verlander is the majors' active leader in wins (266), starts (555), innings pitched (3,567.2), and strikeouts (3,553). The three-time Cy Young Award winner and 2011 AL MVP has won five strikeout titles, led his league in ERA twice, and authored a 300-strikeout season in 2019.
