Orioles showing interest in trio of impact starters

After a last place finish in the AL East, the Baltimore Orioles have to rework their roster this offseason to get back in contention.

With a young core of position players in place, Mike Elias and Baltimore's front office have their sights set on adding impact starting pitching. Plenty of teams hope to fortify their rotation this winter, but few are expected to be as aggressive as the Orioles.

At the end of the regular season, USA Today's Bob Nightengale indicated that the club would be "the most aggressive team looking for pitching this offseason." In the coming months, Elias confirmed this, outlining a wish list that had a "frontline starting pitcher" on top.

After signing a closer in Ryan Helsley and acquiring a veteran bat in Taylor Ward, Elias's wish list has been cut down to just the top item. With just Dylan Cease off the board, Baltimore is seemingly in the process of narrowing down their search of all possible names to identify the right guy.

Orioles interested in Ranger Suárez, Michael King, and Tatsuya Imai

On Monday, Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Banner provided some clarity on who their guy could be, reporting that the Orioles have expressed "particular interest" in Ranger Suárez, Michael King, and Tatsuya Imai.

The Orioles have expressed interest in left-hander Ranger Suárez and right-handers Michael King and Tatsuya Imai, among others, according to sources.

As the winter meetings begin, how aggressive might Baltimore be?https://t.co/3QZ1FsjZVS
— Andy Kostka (@afkostka) December 8, 2025

Kostka's report comes just days after the Orioles were confirmed to be in on Framber Valdez, whom they met with last month at the GM Meetings. While Valdez is drawing interest from the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets, Baltimore has emerged to be an early favorite considering Elias's connection to Valdez from his time in Houston's front office.

But the Orioles will weigh all their options and given their need for starting pitching and willingness to pay for it, they profile as a suitor for many of the top candidates. Suárez, King, and Imai certainly fit this description, and are expected to land a big payday in the coming months.

Suárez, 30, is viewed as one of the safer bets on the open market given his large arsenal that performs despite his lower velocity. The left-hander is coming off of a 26-start season for Philadelphia where he maintained a 3.20 ERA with 151 strikeouts across a career-high 157.1 innings.

That said, Suárez's velocity has dropped considerably since 2021 when he was in the 44th percentile to just the 7th percentile last year. The southpaw's elite pitchability has helped mask this dip, but it should be a consideration for the Orioles as they decide whether to offer a deal of potentially five-plus years.

Ranger Suárez, K'ing the Side in the 4th.

9Ks thru 4. pic.twitter.com/csPYEovYO1
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 9, 2025

King, 30, has seven years of big-league experience but was a reliever until 2023, when he was moved to the rotation during his final year with the New York Yankees. Since becoming a starter, the right-hander has a 3.35 ERA with 359 strikeouts in 64 games (322.2). In his first full season as a starter in San Diego, King made 30 starts, pitching 173.2 innings with an impressive 2.95 ERA.

Now King appears poised to leave San Diego and will have several suitors. While his upside may be lower than some of the other free agent options, King profiles as an elite number two starter to slot between Trevor Rogers and Kyle Bradish in the rotation.

Imai, by nature of his background, is the wild card of the free agent market. At just 27 years old, the right-hander has been pitching professionally for nine years in Japan. Imai is coming off of a 2025 season with the Saitama Seibu Lions of Nippon Professional Baseball where he was 10-5 with a 1.92 ERA,178 strikeouts, five complete games, and three shutouts in 24 starts.

The question for Imai, like most foreign players, will be how his stuff translates in MLB. But his market continues to grow, and it appears many teams, including the Orioles, are interested in signing him ahead of his final posting date of January 2nd. The Scott Boras client is predicted to land a six-year deal around $150 million, which could be easier to stomach given his younger age and higher upside than the aforementioned starters.

With their focus set on pitching, it will be a fascinating December for an Orioles club that should have the financial backing needed to land a true ace to pair with Rogers and Bradish. Whether it ends up being Suárez, King, Imai, Valdez, or someone else, only time will tell.

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Orioles interested in Ranger Suárez, Michael King, and Tatsuya Imai

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