Inside The Orioles

Orioles linked to free agent who could 'scare off' other teams

The Baltimore Orioles have been connected to one of the most compelling free agent pitchers.
Grant Young|
May 5, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; The Baltimore Orioles logo on the sleeve of designated hitter Gunnar Henderson (2) as he prepares on deck during the seventh inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
May 5, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; The Baltimore Orioles logo on the sleeve of designated hitter Gunnar Henderson (2) as he prepares on deck during the seventh inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

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Baltimore OriolesArizona Diamondbacks

When speaking with the media about his team's plans to bolster its roster earlier in the MLB offseason, Baltimore Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias made it clear that he would like to add a front-end piece for the starting rotation by saying, “[We plan to] see if we can add somebody who fits into that tier. That would be Plan A for our rotation."

The good news for Elias is that several compelling starting pitchers are going to be available this offseason, and about five of them could certainly fit into that "tier" of being a front-line starting pitcher to pair with Trevor Rogers.

Read more: Why Chris Bassitt is the perfect fit for the Orioles' rotation

The issue is that many teams are expected to be in on these five arms. And the Orioles come up short, they'll need to pivot and get creative to bolster this rotation heading into the 2026 season.

When it comes to pure talent, few free agent pitchers have more than Zac Gallen. But the problem with Gallen is that his talent hasn't always turned into good performances.

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zac Gallen (23) throws a pitch on September 9, 2025
Sep 9, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zac Gallen (23) throws a pitch against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images | Robert Edwards-Imagn Images

The 30-year-old veteran is one of the more perplexing starting pitchers because he has been somewhat inconsistent. While he has had three seasons with an ERA under 2.81, he produced a 4.30 ERA in 2021 and an even worse 4.83 ERA in his most recent campaign with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Expert Links Orioles to Zac Gallen

This mediocre season could not have come at a worse time for Gallen, given that he's now an unrestricted free agent. However, that didn't stop The Athletic's Andy McCullough from saying Gallen would be the Orioles' ideal free agency acquisition in a November 25 article.

McCullough noted that Gallen's 4.83 ERA could "scare off" other teams from trying to sign him, especially because he's still projected to receive $52 million over three years, according to Spotrac. But if the Orioles feel like they could ensure Gallen reached his potential, $52 million would be a bargain for a pitcher of his caliber.

It's also worth noting that Gallen had a 3.21 ERA across his final seven starts of the 2025 season, which shows he was on track to turn things around after a bad start to the year. What's more, he proved invaluable for the Diamondbacks during their 2023 run to the World Series.

That postseason pedigree would be massive for a young Orioles roster that's looking to return to World Series contention in 2026.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers the New York Mets and Women’s Basketball for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco, where he also played Division 1 baseball for five years. He believes Mark Teixeira should have been a first ballot MLB Hall of Fame inductee.

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