The Houston Astros are no strangers to being in the center of attention, and recently, the Astros saw one of their starting pitchers get into a controversy that could cost him this winter.
Framber Valdez, after giving up a Grand Slam to Trent Grisham, appeared to intentionally cross up catcher Cesar Salazar, hitting him in the chest with a fastball instead of the breaking ball Salazar expected.
While Valdez apologized to Salazar and insisted it was an accident, according to MLB insider Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Astros right-hander might've cost himself millions in free agency.
How Framber Valdez Might've Cost Himself Millions
"Houston Astros ace Framber Valdez's stunt, in which he intentionally cross-up his own catcher or at least simply didn't care that he hit him in the chest with his fastball, could cost Valdez millions in free agency," Nightengale reports.
While Valdez has been a solid pitcher in his career, and is hitting free agency for the first time at 32 years old, there might not be as strong a market for Valdez due to this cross-up incident.
After eight years with the Astros, Valdez is likely going to depart this offseason, signing with a new team in the winter. But his market might not be as strong as he'd hope, since his cross-up incident is leaving some teams with a sour taste in their mouths.
As Nightengale reports, his market might not be as robust as one would expect for a pitcher with his resume. Valdez has a 3.40 ERA this season in 27 starts with a 12-8 record. He had a 2.91 ERA in 28 starts in 2024, a 3.45 ERA in 31 starts in 2023, and a 2.82 ERA in 31 starts in 2022.
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He's won a World Series with the Astros in 2022, and is a two-time All-Star who's received Cy Young votes in each of the last three seasons. A pitcher hitting free agency with these numbers would normally fetch a high price, but Valdez might not see such a market.
This cross-up incident might've cost Valdez millions. Nightengale also shared how one team is already out on Valdez this winter.
"One scout said their organization already crossed Valdez off their list of free agent candidates after the incident."
The controversial moment didn't only hurt Valdez's reputation and stance in the Astros fanbase, but it is also likely to hurt him this winter as he seeks a big free agent deal.
With other starting pitching options on the market, Valdez might not be as highly coveted as he would've been had this cross-up incident not occurred.
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