The Houston Astros are in a tough spot after whiffing on the postseason last season. They’ve lost a lot of talent over the last year or two, and they seem bound to lose Framber Valdez in free agency this winter.
Valdez is likely going to sign a massive deal with one of the biggest markets in baseball. But Houston is going to need to find a replacement for the lefty if he walks in free agency.
Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter recently predicted the Astros would swing a huge trade with the Minnesota Twins to acquire their ace, Joe Ryan, this offseason.
“Over the past four seasons, Joe Ryan quietly ranks in the top 40 among starting pitchers in WAR (10.7, 33rd) and innings pitched (614.2, 27th), and he is coming off the best season of his career and first All-Star selection in 2025,” Reuter wrote. “He leans heavily on an elite four-seam fastball, throwing the pitch more than 50 percent of the time and allowing a .204 average while recording 109 strikeouts and a 26.9 percent whiff rate with the pitch.
“The Astros are poised to lose Framber Valdez, and they will need to do something to shore up the No. 2 spot in the rotation behind Hunter Brown. They have one of the thinnest farm systems in baseball, but might be able to build a package around Jake Meyers and a few of their remaining top prospects to reel in Ryan and his two years of club control.”
The Astros can’t afford to take another step back this offseason. They’ve already lost Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman over the last year. If they lose Valdez without adding a solid replacement, the Seattle Mariners could begin dominating the American League West.
Trading for Ryan would cost a lot of prospect capital, but the Astros need to make it happen. He’d be the perfect replacement for Valdez in Houston.
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