Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
One of the bigger names that is hitting the open market in free agency around the MLB is veteran pitcher Framber Valdez of the Houston Astros. Valdez is one of the better arms in free agency, and there have been a few teams linked to him to open the offseason.
The 2025 season was a mixed bag for Valdez, with him dominating in the first half of the year. Through his first 21 starts, Valdez posted a record of 11-4 with a 2.62 ERA, while striking out 141 batters over 134 innings of work.
But in the second half, things fell apart just a little. Valdez went 2-7 with a 6.05 ERA over his final 10 starts, striking out 46 over 58 innings.
However, the veteran pitcher has been one of the more durable arms around baseball in recent years. Valdez has the fifth-most regular-season innings pitched since the 2021 season, and he could be a strong addition to any club.
Valdez thrives on having a high ground ball rate, and he was able to get his velocity in his sinker up this year. But the big knock on Valdez is that he will be turning 32 years old, and he isn’t seen as an ace pitcher.
This could limit his market just slightly, but for a team that needs a No. 2 or No. 3 pitcher, he could be perfect. Many around the league don’t see him returning to the Astros, which will open the door for other teams to land him.
Luckily for Valdez, there are multiple teams across baseball who need help with starting pitching, and this could see him land a nice contract on the open market. But where he may land is one of the more interesting questions around the game as we continue with free agency.
This is just a prediction, NOT a report!
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Arizona Diamondbacks Win Framber Valdez Sweepstakes
One team that could make some noise in the starting pitching market this winter is the Arizona Diamondbacks. Arizona was supposed to have a lethal rotation this past season, but injuries and inconsistency hurt them.
The Diamondbacks are now slated to lose both Zac Gallen in free agency, which would mean the depth would take more hits. There is also no timetable for the return of Corbin Burnes after he underwent Tommy John surgery.
Burnes is likely to return sometime next summer, but the Diamondbacks need someone to lead this staff. If they were to add Valdez to the mix, he could be the perfect guy to keep this team afloat until Burnes could return.
Then once the ace were to come back, Arizona would have one of the strongest one-two punches in the game. Valdez has proven himself over the years, and Arizona has also shown itself to be aggressive in free agency of late.
The Diamondbacks just barely missed the playoffs last year, even with a depleted pitching staff. So, if they were to add Valdez to the staff, things could get very interesting in the National League.
This could help this team get back to being in the title conversation, and Valdez has been as consistent as any pitcher in the game. Arizona could get a big boost with him on the roster, and this is something that the team should look into doing.