Houston Astros’ ace Framber Valdez, who's set to hit free agency this winter, hasn’t looked like himself recently.
Last week vs. the New York Yankees, Valdez crossed up his catcher, Cesar Salazar, after allowing a grand slam. He denied it was intentional, but the controversy ignited a media firestorm.
It also hasn’t helped that Valdez has lost his form down the stretch, posting a 5.95 ERA over his last seven starts. All that begs the question: Could the Astros move on from Valdez this offseason?
One MLB writer thinks so, predicting Houston lets its longtime ace leave this winter.
Valdez predicted to leave Astros
Christopher Kline of FanSided believes Valdez’s time is up in Houston. Here’s why:
“Houston has the necessary rotation depth to move on from Valdez,” he writes. “Hunter Brown has emerged as a Cy Young candidate in his own right, while the return of Ronel Blanco and Spencer Arrighetti should reinforce the 2026 group.
That’s not to say Valdez can’t help, but we saw the Astros intentionally cut costs last winter with the Kyle Tucker trade, not to mention Alex Bregman’s unceremonious departure. Paying Valdez significant money into his mid-to-late 30s might not be the front office’s top priority.”
Valdez has finished top-ten in Cy Young voting the past two seasons and is a two-time All-Star. That track record of success is why he’s still expected to command significant money this winter, despite his recent struggles.
Spotrac projects Valdez will land a six-year, $205 million contract, comparing him with the likes of Corbin Burnes, who signed a six-year, $210 million contract during his age-30 season. Valdez is currently 31.
The Astros are in the midst of a tense race for the AL West, sitting two and a half games ahead of the Seattle Mariners and four games above the Texas Rangers. That’ll be their focus at the moment, but the 2026 offseason is quickly approaching.