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The Mets have been named among the favorites to sign Framber Valdez.
The Atlanta Braves continue to target starting pitchers to add before spring training, and there are still plenty of options available on the free agent market, but the Braves would have to outbid top suitors for arms like Framber Valdez and Zac Gallen. It’s unclear if Braves’ GM Alex Anthopoulos wants to enter any bidding wars, which means Atlanta could also look for low-cost options like Patrick Corbin and Miles Mikolas.
Atlanta has recently been linked to Framber Valdez, but do they have the cap to sign him to a possible $30 million AAV deal, and suffer other consequences due to signing a player who rejected his qualifying offer?
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Why the Braves Likely Won’t Sign Framber Valdez.
In a recent report by The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, the Pittsburgh Pirates have emerged as another team linked to Framber Valdez. Other teams thought to be in the running for Valdez include the Orioles, Giants, Padres, Blue Jays, and Atlanta Braves.
However, Rosenthal outlines why the Braves would be penalized more than other teams if they sign Valdez:
GettyThe Mets have been named among the favorites to sign Framber Valdez.
“Of those clubs, the Braves would lose the highest draft pick (No. 26 overall) for Valdez, who rejected a qualifying offer. The Pirates would sacrifice a pick that currently is 44th overall, and almost certainly would do it to land a pitcher of Valdez’s quality, even on a short-term deal. They already hold the fifth selection and another at No. 34.”
According to Spotrac, Valdez’s market value projects him to earn a six-year, $199 million contract this offseason, which might be a bit outside the Braves’ pricetag.
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Who Will Sign Framber Valdez?
With the Pirates and Blue Jays entering the running for Valdez, that begs the question of who will ultimately end up signing the two-time All-Star southpaw?
The Giants and Orioles have been linked to Valdez all offseason, so they are the presumed frontrunners, but if the Pirates end up landing Framber, it would almost certainly be the highest-contract handed out to an MLB free agent in franchise history.
Toronto has already added two starters this offseason in Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce, and if they land Valdez, that would mean the Blue Jays landed the top two available starters this winter.
For the Braves, it seems more likely that they target an arm like Chris Bassitt or Zack Littell, who can make an abundance of starts, but aren’t $20-25 million/year pitchers.
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