Orioles might prefer Justin Verlander for a reason fans missed

Reports emerged over the weekend of the Baltimore Orioles' interest in soon-to-be Hall of Fame pitcher Justin Verlander. While Verlander's résumé speaks for itself, it's probably hard for fans to get excited about an aging veteran who — while still productive — hasn't been a frontline starter since 2022.

Verlander will be entering his age 43 season in 2026. Though his second-half production in 2025 is difficult to ignore — 2.99 ERA and 3.47 FIP after the All-Star break — so is his performance prior to the Midsummer Classic. Verlander went 0-7 with a 4.70 ERA and 4.22 FIP through his first 15 starts with the San Francisco Giants last season.

But while the Baltimore faithful would surely prefer to see Mike Elias and the front office turn their attention to a frontline starter like Framber Valdez or Zac Gallen, the Orioles' interest in Verlander may hinge on a factor that most fans are forgetting. Valdez and Gallen rejected a qualifying offer, meaning there's draft compensation attached to their signing.

Orioles might prefer Justin Verlander in order to keep their draft picks

A qualifying offer is designed to compensate a team in the event that one of their impending free agents signs with another team. The Orioles cashed in on the QO last offseason after the Toronto Blue Jays signed Anthony Santander and the Arizona Diamondbacks agreed to terms with Corbin Burnes. As such, the O's had six of the first 69 picks in last year's draft. But in order to sign such a player, a team must be willing to give up a pick of their own.

In an effort to bolster their chances for the upcoming season, the Orioles have already given up several prospects this offseason and sacrificed a competitive balance pick to trade for Shane Baz. It is doubtful the O's front office wants to give up on any more young talent to upgrade the rotation.

Adding Verlander would give the Orioles an experienced arm to pair with Baz and Taylor Rogers atop the starting rotation. While he's not the ace fans have been seeking this offseason, Verlander would undoubtedly help the O's win in 2026, come at about half the cost of Valdez or Gallen, and require no draft compensation.

Baltimore hasn't completely closed the door on signing Valdez or Gallen, but their interest in Verlander certainly lessens the likelihood that Elias makes another free agent splash.