IMAGE: Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez (59) walks off the mound after a pitching change during the fifth inning against the Seattle Mariners at Daikin Park. \/ Troy Taormina \/ Imagn Images<\/div>\n
The Giants might be eyeing a major addition to their rotation – and the name on the radar is Framber Valdez.<\/p>\n
Valdez, a two-time All-Star and one of the more unique arms in the game, has reportedly surfaced as a potential target for San Francisco. Giants broadcaster and former MLB pitcher Mike Krukow weighed in on the rumors during an appearance on KNBR 680\u2019s Murph & Markus<\/em>, and he didn\u2019t hold back his enthusiasm.<\/p>\n\u201cI hope so,\u201d Krukow said when asked about the Giants going after Valdez. \u201cI think he\u2019s one of the top pitchers in the game, and I like his style because he\u2019s extremely unique.<\/p>\n
High three-quarter release, big curveball – one of the best in the game – Clayton Kershaw-type curveball. He not only gets strikeouts, but he gets ground balls.\u201d<\/p>\n
That last part is key. Valdez isn\u2019t just a strikeout artist – he\u2019s a ground ball machine.<\/p>\n
His sinker is one of the most effective in the league, and when it\u2019s on, it keeps hitters pounding the ball into the dirt. Add the fact that he\u2019s a lefty, and you\u2019ve got a profile that would fit nicely in Oracle Park\u2019s pitcher-friendly dimensions.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat’s not to like?\u201d Krukow added.<\/p>\n
Of course, no free agent comes without questions, and Valdez\u2019s 2023 season included a moment that raised a few eyebrows. In a September game against the Yankees, Valdez appeared to miss a signal from catcher C\u00e9sar Salazar.<\/p>\n
The result? A grand slam off the bat of Trent Grisham.<\/p>\n
Just two pitches later, a visibly frustrated Valdez hit Salazar in the chest protector with a sinker – an incident that drew plenty of attention and speculation.<\/p>\n
Krukow, who\u2019s been in those high-pressure moments on the mound, didn\u2019t mince words when reflecting on it.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce you make a mistake like that, you never make it again,\u201d he said. \u201cBecause you realize you just made yourself the biggest hemorrhoid in baseball, and that\u2019s the last thing you want to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
Still, Krukow made it clear that one emotional misstep shouldn\u2019t define Valdez – or scare teams away.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019s an issue as you go forth with this guy,\u201d he said. \u201cI think he atoned for it.<\/p>\n
I think he felt bad for it. He made a terrible mistake, but I don\u2019t think that\u2019s gonna hurt any club from wanting this guy, and that would include the Giants.\u201d<\/p>\n
And the numbers back up why teams – especially the Giants – would be interested. Since the start of the 2022 season, Valdez has made 121 starts, posted a 3.21 ERA, and punched out 750 batters. That\u2019s not just durable – that\u2019s frontline production.<\/p>\n
Plugging Valdez into a rotation that already features Logan Webb, Robbie Ray, and Adrian Houser would give the Giants a legitimate top-four with a mix of power, finesse, and experience. Webb is the established ace, Ray brings Cy Young pedigree, and Houser adds depth and innings.<\/p>\n
But Valdez? He could be the missing piece – the kind of left-handed weapon who can anchor a playoff rotation and dominate in October.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s still early in the offseason rumor mill, but if the Giants are serious about contending in a tough NL West, making a move for someone like Valdez would send a clear message. They\u2019re not just looking to compete – they\u2019re looking to win.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
IMAGE: Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez (59) walks off the mound after a pitching change during the fifth inning against the Seattle Mariners at Daikin Park…. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":147643,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-147642","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\n
Giants Linked to Star Pitcher as Mike Krukow Weighs In - NEWS USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=147642\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Giants Linked to Star Pitcher as Mike Krukow Weighs In - NEWS USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"IMAGE: Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez (59) walks off the mound after a pitching change during the fifth inning against the Seattle Mariners at Daikin Park....\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=147642\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"NEWS USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-02-01T13:23:16+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Rinrin-40.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"XuanTan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"XuanTan\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=147642\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=147642\",\"name\":\"Giants Linked to Star Pitcher as Mike Krukow Weighs In - NEWS USA\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=147642#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=147642#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Rinrin-40.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-01T13:23:16+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-01T13:23:16+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/ac862d5ceb335ec8f1e374ed4bdb0c06\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=147642#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=147642\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=147642#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Rinrin-40.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Rinrin-40.jpg\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":1000},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=147642#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Giants Linked to Star Pitcher as Mike Krukow Weighs In\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/\",\"name\":\"NEWS USA\",\"description\":\"Your Daily Dose of Sports News and Updates\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/ac862d5ceb335ec8f1e374ed4bdb0c06\",\"name\":\"XuanTan\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4f0d0d8858cf9c64fc1f3105c62cff269864cf9a26f88149688bdf4dc953df45?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4f0d0d8858cf9c64fc1f3105c62cff269864cf9a26f88149688bdf4dc953df45?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"XuanTan\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?author=2\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Giants Linked to Star Pitcher as Mike Krukow Weighs In - NEWS USA","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=147642","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Giants Linked to Star Pitcher as Mike Krukow Weighs In - NEWS USA","og_description":"IMAGE: Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez (59) walks off the mound after a pitching change during the fifth inning against the Seattle Mariners at Daikin Park....","og_url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=147642","og_site_name":"NEWS USA","article_published_time":"2026-02-01T13:23:16+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1000,"height":1000,"url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Rinrin-40.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"XuanTan","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"XuanTan","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=147642","url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=147642","name":"Giants Linked to Star Pitcher as Mike Krukow Weighs In - NEWS USA","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=147642#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=147642#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Rinrin-40.jpg","datePublished":"2026-02-01T13:23:16+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-01T13:23:16+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/ac862d5ceb335ec8f1e374ed4bdb0c06"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=147642#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=147642"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=147642#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Rinrin-40.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Rinrin-40.jpg","width":1000,"height":1000},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=147642#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Giants Linked to Star Pitcher as Mike Krukow Weighs In"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/","name":"NEWS USA","description":"Your Daily Dose of Sports News and Updates","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/ac862d5ceb335ec8f1e374ed4bdb0c06","name":"XuanTan","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4f0d0d8858cf9c64fc1f3105c62cff269864cf9a26f88149688bdf4dc953df45?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4f0d0d8858cf9c64fc1f3105c62cff269864cf9a26f88149688bdf4dc953df45?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"XuanTan"},"url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?author=2"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147642","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=147642"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147642\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":147644,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147642\/revisions\/147644"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/147643"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=147642"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=147642"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=147642"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![](\"https:\/\/files.fanbeat.win\/art\/yqAcUhDVbzSd.avif\")
<\/p>\n