"The Toronto Blue Jays addressed their pitching by signing Dylan Cease, Cody Ponce and also had Shane Bieber take the option on his contract to play with Toronto in 2026. Both the Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles have also made moves with the former grabbing Sonny Gray in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals, and the latter picking up reliever Ryan Helsley off the free agent market while also getting Taylor Ward in a trade with the LA Angels."
"Valdez is one of the big name starting pitchers available this offseason, and by some measures, he may be the best of the bunch. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com recently wrote that Valdez would be the "perfect fit" for the Orioles, "the Orioles need starting pitching as badly as any team in the Majors, putting them in the market for the top arms. Valdez is the oldest of the bunch (he's entering his age-32 season), but he has the longest track record, has postseason experience, and could sign for fewer years than some of the others.""
The American League East has been highly active during the offseason with multiple pitching and position-player moves. Toronto added Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce and retained Shane Bieber for 2026 via his contract option. Boston acquired Sonny Gray in a trade, Baltimore signed reliever Ryan Helsley and acquired Taylor Ward, and Tampa Bay signed right fielder Jake Freely. Framber Valdez ranks among the top available starting pitchers and matches Baltimore's urgent need for rotation help. Valdez brings a long track record, postseason experience, and the potential for a shorter-term contract at age 32, addressing below-average staff metrics.
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