3 free agent starting pitchers the Orioles must avoid like the plague this offseason

Priority number one for the Baltimore Orioles this offseason will be finding an ace to lead their rotation. Whether that's via free agency or trade is up for debate, but after a difficult 2025 from the starting rotation, this is a problem that can no longer be ignored.

While the free agent class overall is considered weak, the group of starters to hit the market is pretty robust. As a result, if Baltimore decides to pursue the free agent route to find a rotation leader, it will have no shortage of options. That doesn't mean, however, that all the options are created equally. Some should entice the Orioles, while others they'd be wise to avoid like the plague.

3 free agent starters the Orioles would be wise to steer clear of

Dylan Cease

Once one of the most promising young pitchers in baseball, Dylan Cease has become extremely hot and cold in recent years. The 30-year-old right-hander has top-five Cy Young finishes in 2022 and 2024 on his resume, but sandwiched between those seasons have been mediocre results headlined by a 4.58 ERA in 2023 and a 4.55 mark in 2025.

Some have predicted the Orioles as Cease's most likely landing spot, but the Orioles should think twice. There are enough question marks in the rotation, like whether Trevor Rogers is for real, what Baltimore can reasonably expect from Grayson Rodriguez after missing all of 2025 with an elbow injury, and whether or not Kyle Bradish, Cade Povich, and/or Dean Kremer can find another gear, that Baltimore can't bog itself down with the uncertainty Cease brings.

Despite the yo-yo-like performance, some team will shell out big money for Cease, and the Orioles would be wise not to make that bet.

Ranger Suarez

Ranger Suarez's performance, a 3.20 ERA in 2025 and a 3.38 mark for his career, might scream ace, but there's a critical element missing. A true ace is someone who can be counted upon to be a workhorse atop the rotation, and Suarez, 30, has yet to prove that.

The southpaw logged just 157.1 innings in 2025, which, believe it or not, was a career high. He's been a full-time starter since 2022, but a variety of bumps and bruises have limited him to 155.1 innings in 2022, 125 innings in 2023, and 150.2 innings in 2024.

In addition to the durability concerns, Suarez is more of a pitch-to-contact pitcher who lacks elite stuff with a career Stuff+ of 97. That's not the end-all be-all of being an effective pitcher, but a true ace has better-than-average stuff.

What Suarez really is is a good No. 2, but he'll unfortunately be paid like an ace. The Athletic's Jim Bowden predicted he'll land a six-year, $164 million deal. Spotrac more or less concurs with a six-year $161.5 million projection. At those prices, Baltimore should bow out of the bidding.

Tatsuya Imai

One of the most intriguing free agents on the market will be Japanese star Tatsuya Imai. Imai has been suggested as a solution for the Orioles, but there are several problems.

First, there's the question that faces all Japanese pitchers as they prepare to arrive stateside  — how well will his stuff translate? The 27-year-old put up a 1.92 ERA in the NPB in 2025, which, while impressive, ultimately doesn't mean much. They're very different pitchers, but it's worth noting that Tomoyuki Sugano posted a 1.67 mark in his final season in Japan and that translated to a 4.64 ERA performance in Baltimore this year.

Ultimately, even if the Orioles were interested in Imai, Baltimore likely isn't on his radar. It would require a massive overpay to convince him to come to town. With most scouts pegging him as a No. 2 or No. 3 starter, he won't be worth the money Baltimore will have to lay out, and that's before factoring in the extra uncertainty he comes with.