The Houston Astros seem bound to lose their ace, Framber Valdez, in free agency this winter. Valdez is expected to sign for around $200 million, similar to the deal Dylan Cease signed with the Toronto Blue Jays, and Houston likely can’t afford a deal like that.
The New York Mets make a lot of sense as a fit for the lefty, but there are multiple other suitors that could look to steal Valdez in free agency over the coming weeks.
Paul Connor of SportsGrid predicted Valdez would sign a deal with the Baltimore Orioles this offseason, which would leave the Mets in a bad spot with their pitching staff.
“Workhorse with 3.66 ERA over 192 (innings pitched); ground-ball specialist but late-season struggles (6.05 ERA in final 10 starts) and attitude concerns noted,” Connor wrote.
The Orioles have already made a big splash in free agency by adding Pete Alonso earlier this winter. But they need to continue spending if they want to close the gap on the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, and Blue Jays.
The pitching staff was a major weakness for the Orioles last season. Signing Valdez would give the team a bona fide ace at the top of the pitching staff for the next five or six seasons. He’s one of the better lefties in baseball when he’s rolling, and the Orioles would be much better off with him on the roster.
It will be hard for the Orioles to win a bidding war against the Mets if New York desperately wants Valdez, but Baltimore might be the more desperate team right now. This desperation helps favor them in the Valdez sweepstakes.
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