The Houston Astros have played great baseball this season. After a slow start and injuries to some key players, they have been able to buckle down and win games on a consistent basis.
They currently hold the lead in the American League East over the Seattle Mariners, but they cannot overlook how many players they could lose following the 2025 season. They have six players who are expected to become free agents, with some being fan favorites.
One of these players includes Framber Valdez, who has been with Houston for the last eight years, turning into their ace over the last few seasons. He is expected to get a big contract, but it likely will not be from the Astros. Chandler Rome recently spoke with the crew over at Foul Territory about Houston’s chances of retaining Valdez.
“The Astros probably aren’t bringing Framber Valdez back, but it’s not because of anything you just said. It’s because they are not going to give him the sort of contract his market value says he’s worth that he will command on the free-agent market.”
Framber Valdez’s price tag may be too much for the Astros
The Astros have never been a team to dish out monster contracts like the New York Yankees or the Los Angeles Dodgers. The biggest extension a player has ever received from the club was $125 million, and that went to Jose Altuve last year.
“The Astros have never guaranteed a player more than $150 million, much less a pitcher,” said Rome. “Jim Crane, the one thing in his ownership tenure, he has not given massive deals to starting pitchers.”
Valdez’s time with the Astros could be up after the end of this season. It will be interesting to see which teams would be interested in signing him and bolstering their rotation for the 2026 season.
