Overview
- Valdez remains the top unsigned starter and has been most often linked to the Orioles, with reported prior ties to executive Mike Elias from their Houston days.
- Clubs that already added arms such as Freddy Peralta, Dylan Cease and Shane Baz have narrowed demand, and Valdez is viewed as the last likely top-of-the-rotation addition this offseason.
- The Mets, Blue Jays and Red Sox met with Valdez earlier, but each pivoted to other pitchers, the Astros have shown little interest in a reunion, and the Giants are reluctant to commit long term.
- Zac Gallen is coming off a down 2025 and is seen as a candidate for a short-term, opt-out deal, with a return to the Diamondbacks described as a comfortable possibility.
- Eugenio Suárez remains unsigned despite a 49-homer season and is expected to draw shorter-term offers at age 34, while veterans like Chris Bassitt and Paul Goldschmidt are positioned as potential value signings.