The Houston Astros were expected to be one of the best teams in the league last season, but they struggled down the stretch and whiffed on the postseason as the Seattle Mariners dominated their way into the division title.
Now the Astros could lose their ace, Framber Valdez, in free agency. Valdez is projected to sign a massive $190 million deal, per Jim Bowden of The Athletic, and Houston might not be able to afford that price tag.
Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter recently predicted Valdez would sign a deal with the San Francisco Giants in free agency this offseason.
“Logan Webb is a bona fide staff ace and Robbie Ray enjoyed a surprise return to All-Star form in 2025, but the Giants need at least one more impact starting pitcher to make a serious push in the NL West,” Reuter wrote. “As it stands, Landen Roupp, Kai-Wei Teng and Trevor McDonald are projected to fill the final three spots in the rotation, and the team’s outlook improves greatly if that group is competing for two spots rather than filling three.
“After Dylan Cease landed a seven-year, $210 million deal from the Blue Jays, Framber Valdez will likely be looking for something similar to that $30 million AAV, though the fact that he is two-plus years older could limit him to a shorter deal.”
The Giants desperately need to add to their starting rotation above all else. They traded a few arms to acquire Rafael Devers, and the team hasn’t recovered.
As they’re trying to close the gap on the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West, a move like this is crucial to make. The Giants have the money to make a move like this happen, and their desperation could lead to a deal sooner rather than later.
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