Proposed Framber Valdez alternatives would all be big disappointments for fans

At this point, it would be an upset if the Baltimore Orioles didn't sign Framber Valdez, and it would also be a colossal disappointment. The Orioles' stated goal this offseason has always been to add a frontline starting pitcher, and while they did trade for Shane Baz, no one would honestly argue that he fits the bill. The Orioles and Valdez have been connected all offseason, and now, fans are almost expecting it at this point.

There are reasons not to target Valdez, but most of those haven't seemed to slow Baltimore down much in their pursuit of him. However, perhaps the Orioles front office could be spurred into action, knowing that the alternatives to Valdez that are still available are rather grim when you look at them closely.

Orioles basically don't have many (if any) good alternatives to signing Framber Valdez at this point

Of the available starters left on the market this offseason, the only one that could be argued to have a chance of being a front-of-the-rotation starter is Zac Gallen. However, signing Gallen would require giving up another draft pick, which isn't ideal, to say the least. Gallen also feels like a guy who wants to do a short-term deal so he can hit the market again next offseason without a qualifying offer a chance and after rebuilding his value is value a bit.

As for the rest, there are questions about all of them. Chris Bassitt and Lucas Giolito are popular names on the pitching market at the moment, but both are more #4 starters on a good team at this point in their careers. There's nothing wrong with that, but that doesn't fulfill the promise of adding an ace-level starter.

Curiously, the linked above Baltimore Banner article also mentions pitching prospect Trey Gibson as a potential rotation option. While Gibson's run prevention in the minors doesn't scream "elite pitching prospect" per se, he has already made it to Triple-A and is a power arm that can rack up the strikeouts. This one feels like a stretch, but giving Gibson the reins is still possible.

There is still time before the start of camp for the Orioles to swing the big pitching move they have been teasing for months. If they fall short, it will be hard for fans not to feel a little betrayed and to feel like they were lied to all along.