Orioles find themselves in bidding war for starter that may not be worth the effort

With their failure to sign Framber Valdez, the Baltimore Orioles are in a very awkward position. Their rotation doesn't look complete at the moment, and everyone knows it, including the guy who fits the mold of what they really need the best, Zac Gallen. However, the Orioles have more to worry about with their pursuit of Gallen than their current negotiating position.

Despite being clearly the best starter still available on the free agent market, Gallen is coming off a down year and, importantly, has the qualifying offer attached to him, which means Baltimore would lose a draft pick if they signed him.

That is quite the risk to take for a guy in Gallen who is not only going to probably want a short-term deal so he can hit the open market again, but also will require winning what appears to be a heated bidding war for his services.

Zac Gallen looks popular on the free agent market, and the Orioles should avoid overpaying

There is no denying that Gallen is likely to be a good pitcher in 2026. While 2025 was not up to his standards, this is the same guy who was considered one of the better pitchers in the National League before last season. If the Orioles pass on Gallen and he throws well this year, it won't be a surprise.

The problem is the potential cost. Gallen was already not going to come cheap, which, for the Orioles, was always going to be an obstacle. Now, it appears as though Baltimore is also in a bidding war alongside the Padres, Cubs, and the Diamondbacks for Gallen, which is going to drive the price up. At some point, Gallen is simply not worth the dollars and draft capital unless Baltimore is sure he will be awesome and they can ink him to a long-term deal.

Unfortunately, certainty does not exist in each case. Gallen is a bit of a gamble given his decline last season, and there is a really, really strong possibility that he will want to hit the open market again soon, where he doesn't have the qualifying offer tag.

Are there price points where adding Gallen still makes sense? Absolutely, as the Orioles do still need rotation help after all. That said, the bidding may be getting to a point where settling for one of the lesser veteran arms still available makes a lot more sense than Gallen.