Over at Bleacher Report, Zachary D. Rymer recently listed a player from every team most likely to get traded this offseason. Among them is two-time All-Star and World Series champion Framber Valdez, who is entering the final year of his contract.
“Astros general manager Dana Brown isn’t explicitly saying he’ll need to trim salaries this winter, but it sure sounds like he’ll have to do just that,” writes Rymer.
Dana Brown on payroll: “I think we’re going to have to make some wise decisions as to – are there younger players that we can call up and put in certain roles to maybe save some money here and … allocate that money to other places. … We may have to get a little bit creative.”
— Matt Kawahara (@matthewkawahara) October 3, 2024
“To this end, Framber Valdez stands to make $17.8 million via arbitration next year. It’s far from a bad rate for a pitcher of his stature, but the Astros could do a lot (i.e., re-sign Alex Bregman or add bullpen pieces) if they set that money free.
There’s also the reality that Houston is relatively well off with starting pitching. Even if you subtract Valdez, they still have Hunter Brown, Spencer Arrighetti and Ronel Blanco and Luis Garcia and Lance McCullers Jr. returning from injuries.”
Rymer continues to name the Braves, Baltimore Orioles, and New York Mets as potential trade fits for the ace of the Houston Astros staff.
Unlike the Orioles and Mets, the Braves aren’t desperate for starting pitching. Even if they lose Max Fried in free agency, their rotation still boasts a formidable lineup with Spencer Strider, Spencer Schwellenbach, Chris Sale, and Reynaldo Lopez—arguably a top 1-4 that can rival any rotation in baseball. However, Fried’s departure will necessitate a replacement, and the Braves have learned over the past three seasons that there’s no such thing as too much starting pitching.
Framber Valdez is entering the final year of his contract, meaning he shouldn’t require a king’s ransom in terms of prospects. His arbitration estimate of $18.8 million is also less than what Charlie Morton earned this year. Acquiring Valdez would solidify the Braves’ rotation as the deepest and most complete in the league.
Additionally, it’s worth noting that Dana Brown, the new GM of the Astros, previously worked with the Braves organization as their Director of Scouting before moving to Houston. This existing relationship could make negotiations smoother, as Brown may be more familiar with Braves prospects than those within his own organization.
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