Orioles let Tigers steal another rotation upgrade right under their nose

The Baltimore Orioles are running out of options as they search for a frontline starting pitcher to add before Opening Day. The Orioles were heavily linked to Framber Valdez throughout the offseason, but watched the Tigers swoop in and sign him to a historic three-year deal. Justin Verlander was thought to be a potential fallback option for the Orioles, but Baltimore is once again dealing with a familiar outcome.

Verlander is returning to the Tigers, the team that drafted him, in what many believe will be the final season of his playing career. Verlander will make $13 million with the Tigers in 2026, and even if a potential offer from the Orioles was similar, it likely wouldn't have been enough to prevent a reunion with the Tigers.

Orioles lose another target to the Tigers as Justin Verlander returns to Detroit on a one-year deal.

The game of musical chairs that is veteran starting pitchers signing before the start of spring training could leave the Orioles without a chair. Verlander, Nick Martinez, Erick Fedde, and Aaron Civale have all signed with new teams since the start of the week. Former Orioles starting pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano also found a major league deal with the Colorado Rockies.

While the Orioles weren't directly connected to most of those options, Verlander was believed to be an option they were considering after losing out on Valdez. Beyond a return to Detroit, it's also possible that Verlander viewed the Tigers as a better contender in the American League Central than the Orioles are in the AL East.

Zac Gallen and Lucas Giolito are easily the best options remaining for the Orioles. The downside to signing Gallen for the Orioles would be that they would be forced to part with their third-highest draft pick and international bonus pool money. Gallen is also likely to want an opt-out early in his next contract that may sour the interest of the Orioles.

Giolito would be a dependable option for the Orioles' rotation, but at this stage of his career, he's not the frontline starting pitcher the team was hoping to land. Sure, it checks a box, but after the whiffs on Valdez and Verlander, Orioles fans may not be willing to give Mike Elias the benefit of the doubt.