
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that the legendary right-handed pitcher Justin Verlander is "drawing interest from multiple teams." Rosenthal particularly noted the Baltimore Orioles' pursuit of the player as they look to reinforce their starting pitching staff.
Although Verlander recorded a 3.85 ERA last season at age 42, he posted an impressive 2.60 ERA over his final 13 starts with the San Francisco Giants, demonstrating that the veteran, who is aiming for his 21st Major League season, still possesses significant ability.
The Orioles’ current starting rotation includes Shane Baz (acquired this offseason from the Tampa Bay Rays), Trevor Rogers, Kyle Bradish, Zach Eflin (signed as a free agent), and Dean Kremer. Additionally, Baltimore has been linked to left-handed free agent Framber Valdez. Other potential options on the trade market include Milwaukee Brewers’ Freddy Peralta and possibly Detroit Tigers’ Tarik Skubal, the reigning American League Comeback Player of the Year — although meaningful offers for the latter two would likely require giving up top-tier prospects.
Rosenthal described Verlander as a "fallback option" for the Orioles if they are unable to secure other targets.