Dream Orioles rotation for 2026 that would completely address their Achilles' heel

With the news Tuesday night that the Baltimore Orioles traded Grayson Rodriguez away for Taylor Ward, the Orioles' rotation questions became amplified. Sure, Baltimore wasn't likely to bank on Rodriguez too much given his injury history, but losing him makes assembling a passable starting pitching staff that much harder. But what if everything turned out better than the Orioles could have possibly hoped?

We know that the Orioles are at least saying they are pursuing starting pitching with purpose this offseason, and they have now ticked a power hitter off of their offseason shopping list by adding Ward. If Baltimore went truly all-in on building a stellar "dream" rotation, 2026 could be a sight to behold.

Here is what a dream Orioles rotation next season could look like

Before you go out and buy season tickets based on this, these are not predictions. While it wouldn't be completely crazy for the Orioles to add one of these new faces, adding all of them might be a bit of a stretch. Still, this is the time for dreaming big. Also, the new additions are from the names that we know are probably available either in trade or free agency, so don't expect Paul Skenes in an Orioles uniform here.

Trevor Rogers

We'll start with the obvious holdover in Rogers. If Rogers pitches as well as he did upon returning in 2025 for the entire season next year, Rogers is going to be in heavy consideration for the Cy Young. Any dream has to start with something familiar, and in this case, Rogers' potential is too big to ignore. Who would have thought that that deadline trade would have worked out so well (so far)?

Framber Valdez

Alright, time to get to dreaming big. Rogers is already a very stout lefty presence, but having two frontline left-handed starters blunts many top teams' best lineups. Valdez is being predicted to land as much as a six-year, $200+ million deal, and Baltimore doesn't give those contracts out. However, he is the best free agent pitcher available, and we don't mind spending David Rubenstein's money for him. Just make sure that he and Adley Rutschman are on the same wavelength, though, as Valdez has a bit of a history with throwing teammates under the bus (or just throwing at them to cut out the middle man).

Freddy Peralta

With the lefties covered, it is time to turn to the trade market for some right-handed help. The last time the Orioles struck a trade for a top pitcher, it worked out pretty well as Corbin Burnes anchored Baltimore's rotation in 2024. Milwaukee is posturing that they want to keep Freddy Peralta, but everyone knows their financial constraints, and Peralta is entering his last season of team control. If any team has the prospect capital to convince the Brewers to let him go, it is the Orioles.

Kyle Bradish

Any dream Orioles rotation should at least feel like it is rooted in Baltimore, and including Bradish makes sense in that spirit. It doesn't hurt that Bradish was lights out after returning in late August from Tommy John surgery with a 2.53 ERA in his six starts. With a normal offseason and even more time to get back into form, 2026 could be a breakout year for the 29-year-old righty.

Tatsuya Imai

Imai might actually be the most far-fetched choice on this list, given that the Orioles are neither a west coast team nor one of the big market juggernauts. However, it sure would be fun to see Imai's riding mid-90's fastball and disgusting splitter doing work for Baltimore. Adding Imai would also send a strong signal to the rest of the league that the Orioles are seen as a contender and a prime destination worldwide. It won't happen in all likelihood in Imai's case, but it is fun to dream.