Framber Valdez could help the Orioles win games and quietly cause problems

The New York Mets did the Baltimore Orioles a huge favor earlier this week after swinging a trade for Milwaukee Brewers ace Freddy Peralta. Though Peralta would've looked good in an Orioles uniform, Baltimore now has a clear runway to go grab the best starting pitcher remaining on the open market — Framber Valdez.

While New York's deal for Peralta certainly takes them out of the running for Valdez, it's not as if there've been rumors of a contentious bidding war between the Mets and Orioles.

In fact, it felt as if Baltimore had already turned their attention away from Valdez a few weeks ago to focus on Ranger Suarez, which is why it was so upsetting to the see the Boston Red Sox swoop in at the last minute to sign the free agent lefty.

Mets clear a path for the Orioles to sign Framber Valdez, but his past could be coming back to haunt him

Maybe, just maybe, there's more than meets the eye going on here. While Valdez has a qualifying offer attached to his signing, that didn't stop the Toronto Blue Jays from signing Dylan Cease to a seven-year. Valdez is the oldest of the top-tier free agent starters on the market, but given his level of dominance, one would assume that will do little more than lessen the length of his contract.

Let's not forget that Valdez was involved in a rather public outburst during a game last season. A miscommunication between Valdez and his catcher Cesar Salazar resulted in a home run, and on the very next pitch, the southpaw crossed up his battery-mate. This raised eyebrows across Major League Baseball, and a number of former players did not approve of Valdez's actions.

Those actions may be coming home to roast this winter. New O's manager Craig Albernaz has stressed clubhouse unity since his arrival in Baltimore, and brining in a potential troublemaker like Valdez might have the front office thinking twice before committing a big sum of money in free agency.

This is all speculation, of course, but only the Mets and Orioles have been tied to Valdez this offseason. The Mets are out. Will the O's follow suit?