After trading three-time All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown admitted the team is open to hearing offers for starter Framber Valdez. However, he emphasized that another major move is unlikely.
On Friday, following the deal that sent Tucker to the Cubs in exchange for four players, Brown reiterated Houston’s willingness to entertain offers for Valdez but downplayed the chances of the left-hander being traded.
Dana Brown willing to listen but not looking to ship Framber Valdez
“We’re not aggressively trying to move him, but we’ll listen,” Brown said via a post on X (formerly Twitter) of the Athletic’s Chandler Rome. “If you’re asking me if (I) think we’re going to trade Valdez, I don’t think we’re going to trade Valdez. I think he’s a pillar and it’s really tough to keep a rotation intact.”
Valdez, much like Kyle Tucker, is heading into his final year of team control and could pursue a lucrative contract in free agency—something the Astros have historically shied away from under owner Jim Crane. General manager Dana Brown mentioned earlier in the week that the team was open to trade discussions involving “anybody,” including both Tucker and Valdez.
The 31-year-old, a two-time All-Star, has anchored the Astros’ rotation as their Opening Day starter for the past three seasons. Over the last four full MLB campaigns, he has consistently posted an ERA below 3.50 and secured three consecutive top-10 finishes in the American League Cy Young Award voting.
Valdez being a pillar for the Houston Astros
Since 2020, Valdez is among an elite group of eight pitchers in the majors to log at least 781 innings, alongside names like Corbin Burnes, Aaron Nola, and Zack Wheeler.
According to MLB Trade Rumors, Valdez is projected to earn $17.8 million in 2025, his final year of arbitration eligibility. On Friday, Brown admitted that the team has not engaged in significant extension discussions with Valdez since last season.
With the escalating contracts being handed out to free-agent pitchers this offseason, it seems logical for Valdez and his representatives to test the free-agent market next winter.
Max Fried, considered the best left-handed pitcher on this offseason’s market, signed an eight-year, $218 million deal with the New York Yankees, the largest guaranteed contract ever for a southpaw. Although Valdez is a year older, the two pitchers have logged nearly the same number of innings, with Fried posting a 3.07 career ERA compared to Valdez’s 3.30.
