Orioles turning attention to All-Star pitcher after Pete Alonso signing

The Baltimore Orioles made one of the biggest splashes of the young MLB offseason.

They'll kick off the Craig Albernaz era with Pete Alonso at first base after signing him to a five-year, $150 million deal.

However, it seems like he Orioles aren't done chirping. 

According to MLB insider Jon Morosi, they're now looking to add a high-end pitcher to their rotation, and they've set their sights on a two-time All-Star.

Orioles want to sign Framber Valdez

"Even after agreeing to terms with Pete Alonso, sources say the Orioles remain engaged with the top end of the starting pitching market," Morosi wrote. "The Orioles have had talks with free agent LHP Framber Valdez."

Valdez is coming off a bit of a down year by his standards. Even so, he finished the campaign with a 3.66 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 187 strikeouts across 192 innings of work.

He's a two-time All-Star and was instrumental in the Houston Astros' World Series run in 2022, dominating with a 1.44 ERA in four postseason outings. 

The southpaw is expected to fetch something close to $150 million over five years, and while the O's already met with him in November, so did the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets.

The Orioles' lineup looks absolutely stacked with Alonso's addition. With young stars like Gunnar Henderson and Jackson Holliday, along with Jordan Westburg, Dylan Beavers, Colton Cowser, Tyler Ward and Adley Rutschman, this should be one of the most improved teams in baseball next season, not to mention quite an appealing destination for any high-end free agent.