The Houston Astros have struggled to keep their roster together for the last few seasons. They lost Alex Bregman in free agency and Kyle Tucker in a trade last offseason. As a result, the team struggled down the stretch last season and missed the postseason because of it.
This offseason, the Astros seem likely to lose Framber Valdez to free agency.
Just Baseball’s Shaan Donohue recently projected Valdez would sign a huge five-year, $140 million deal in free agency this winter. At that price, the Astros will likely be out of the Valdez sweepstakes.
“Valdez’s Arsenal Score projects him as a $28.1 million AAV pitcher, placing him squarely in the top tier of starting pitchers when evaluated through pitch quality, movement traits, and usage-weighted impact,” Donohue wrote. “While age and perceived personality concerns may pull his market slightly below the absolute ceiling, his combination of reliability, innings volume, and elite results still justifies a nine-figure commitment.”
There are plenty of teams in the league that will likely be aggressive in the Valdez sweepstakes. He had a controversial moment last season as he seemingly crossed up his catcher on purpose, which is a moment he will need to answer for before signing a new deal.
Still, Valdez is one of the best players on the market right now. A team like the San Francisco Giants or Chicago Cubs could add him on a massive contract in the coming weeks.
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