By Zach PressnellShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberThe Houston Astros are headed in the wrong direction right now. They traded Kyle Tucker in a blockbuster deal last offseason while losing Alex Bregman in free agency. This offseason, they seem bound to lose their ace, Framber Valdez, in free agency, too.
Valdez is one of the top pitchers on the market, but he's coming off a bit of a controversial season. Valdez came under some heat after he seemingly crossed up his catcher on purpose at one point during the season. While this is purely speculation, Valdez has to answer to general managers who ask about the incident.
Either way, Zach Mentz of Cleveland.com recently projected Valdez would sign a massive six-year, $162 million deal in free agency this winter.
..."A proven, durable ace who has made at least 28 starts each of the past four seasons, eclipsing 190 innings three times during that span," Mentz wrote.
Valdez is one of the better pitchers on the market, so he should be headed for a huge deal regardless of the controversy that surrounded him down the stretch.
Almost every contending team needs to add pitching, which would further heat up Valdez's market.
Contenders around the league could be desperate to close the gap on the Los Angeles Dodgers after they finished their second consecutive World Series run. With that in mind, Valdez could be a very coveted asset for teams like the San Francisco Giants, Toronto Blue Jays, and Chicago Cubs.
More MLB: Yankees All-Star Predicted To Sign 1-Year, $17 Million Deal With Rival Mets
Request Reprint & LicensingSubmit CorrectionView Editorial & AI Guidelines
Add Newsweek as a preferred source on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search.Recommended For You
MLBPadres $187 Million Ace Projected To Sign Monster Free Agent Deal With Cubs2 min read
MLBPhillies $164 Million Star Projected To Sign With NL Club In Free Agency2 min read
MLBPhillies Bringing Back Electric 27-Year-Old Reliever: Report2 min read
MLBAstros’ $190 Million Ace Projected To Sign Massive Deal With AL Contender2 min read
MLBBlue Jays Predicted To Replace Max Scherzer With Another Hall of Famer2 min read
MLBYankees Still Clear Favorites For Cody Bellinger, Per Insider3 min readRelated Podcasts
Top Stories
NewsJasmine Crockett Mocks Marjorie Taylor Greene for Resignation5 min read
NewsMarjorie Taylor Greene’s Next Move? What Polls Tell Us4 min read
WorkHired, Managed, and Fired by AI: Stories From Those Who Have Been There6 min read
NewsNalin Haley is the Poster Boy for MAGA’s Shift Further Right6 min read
NewsDonald Trump’s Approval Rating is Eroding Among Parents3 min read
PoliticsRepublicans Are Facing a Generational Rift5 min readTrending
Higher EducationFull List of Degrees Not Classed As ‘Professional’ by Trump Admin8 min read
Winter StormWinter Storm Warning As 18 Inches of Snow To Hit5 min read
Product recallAmazon Recall: Threat-To-Life Warning Issued For Items Pulled Nationwide4 min read
SNAP benefitsSNAP Benefits To Change From December: What to Know4 min read
Social SecuritySocial Security Issues Update on 2025 Changes4 min readOpinion
OpinionConventional Wisdom: Price of Culture Edition3 min read
OpinionLatinos Catch the Fish. Why Aren’t They at the Decision-Making Table? | Opinion5 min read
OpinionWhy Is the US Punishing Legal Immigrants? | Opinion5 min read
OpinionWhat Is an American?6 min read
OpinionConventional Wisdom: MAGA Infighting Edition2 min read
