Houston Astros pitcher Framber Valdez was listed as one of the top upcoming free agents for the upcoming MLB offseason. Coming in at No. 2.
Astros' Framber Valdez among top free agents for 2025-26 offseason originally appeared on The Sporting News
The Houston Astros will have some decisions to make in the coming offseason. After a huge haul in the MLB trade deadline last month, Houston could be running into some financial issues for next season.
One player who's set to hit free agency and will grab attention from multiple teams throughout the league will be starting pitcher Framber Valdez.
In The Athletic's Jim Bowden's latest list of the "Top 25 potential MLB free agents for 2025-26 as the offseason draws nearer," he ranked Valdez as the No. 2 candidate. The Chicago Cubs' Kyle Tucker was the only upcoming free agent ranked higher.
Valdez is set to turn 32 years old in late 2025, but is still on track for another dominant outing for the Astros this season. He's set to take on free agency for the first time in his career after finishing out his arbitration years with the Astros.
As a left-handed pitcher, Valdez has been as consistent as it gets in the major leagues. He's started in at least 28 regular-season games in each of the past three seasons and is on pace to do so again in 2025. He's also finished in the top 10 of AL Cy Young Award voting in each of the past three seasons.
With consistency being the standard for the two-time All-Star, 2025 has been another impressive outing for Valdez. Through 23 starts this season, he has an 11-5 record, 2.97 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and has tallied 145 strikeouts in 145.2 innings.
Although postseason play has been a struggle for Valdez in recent years, he's proven that he can get it done in October. In Houston's World Series run in 2022, Valdez started in four games, finishing with a 3-0 record, 1.44 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, and was the starter in the World Series-winning game for the Astros when they beat the Philadelphia Phillies.
Category: Baseball
