Four 2026 Free Agents Orioles Should Begin Monitoring for This Winter

The Baltimore Orioles should start watching out for these players as preparations for next year already start to happen.

May 30, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez (59) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Daikin Park. / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles have been one of the most disappointing teams of the 2025 season, and many in the fanbase already have their eyes on next year.

It feels like the Orioles struck out on almost every move they made this past offseason. Tomoyuki Sugano and Andrew Kittredge look solid, but that's about it.

More News: Orioles' Highly Touted Offseason Acquisition Set to Miss Another Rehab Game

Baltimore will need to go back to the drawing board and return with a better attack plan since they will still be carrying the same expectations next year.

Here are some upcoming free agents the Orioles should already be scouting and thinking about.

Framber Valdez

Valdez is prone to having a bad performance or two at the start of the season, but outside of that, he has been an consistent ace for the Houston Astros for some time now.

He has had an ERA+ of at least 123 every year since 2020.

He forces a ton of ground balls and manages to get a solid amount of strikeouts at the same time. The 31-year-old has a 3.07 ERA with a 1.059 WHIP this season.

If Baltimore wants an ace, they could do much worse than Valdez.

Trent Grisham

With Cedric Mullins heading to free agency after the year, the Orioles will need to come up with a new plan in center field.

Top prospect Enrique Bradfield Jr. will factor into those plans some time soon, but they could also look for a cheaper veteran as a backup plan.

More News: Could Baltimore Orioles Consider Trading Star Prospect to AL East Rivals?

Grisham has revived his career a bit with the New York Yankees, but he should still be available at a modest price in free agency.

He has posted a .242/.348/.474 slash line with 13 home runs. He would certainly be able to fill in for Mullins until Bradfield is ready.

Luke Weaver

The Baltimore bullpen has been a huge let-down this year, along with the rest of the team. It will also need to be re-tooled this offseason with players like Seranthony Dominguez and Gregory Soto set to leave.

Weaver has been one of the best relievers in baseball over the last two years and could be the perfect veteran to smooth things out.

He has a 1.05 ERA in 25.2 innings of work this season, picking up eight saves and a 0.701 WHIP along the way.

Kyle Schwarber

This would be a bigger swing than most expect the Orioles to take, but it has to at least be considered.

Baltimore needs reliable offense and few have been able to provide that better than Schwarber.

More News: Orioles' Skipper Breaks Silence Gives Update on Star Pitcher's Injury Recovery

He is yet another lefty, but he dominates southpaw pitching, which is a talent not many Orioles players have.

The 32-year-old has hit at least 38 home runs in each of the last three seasons and should be back above 40 this year.

For more Orioles news, head over to Orioles On SI.