One of the more disappointing flops in the MLB regular season in 2025 came at the hands of the Houston Astros.
After leading the AL West for a large part of the season, the Astros went 27-32 in the final months of the regular season. The Seattle Mariners would go on to win 16 of their final 20 games and take over the top spot, ending Houston’s postseason hopes.
With so much controversy behind the Astros’ fall off, their biggest free agent question will be with starting pitcher Framber Valdez. What can be expected from the 32-year-old as he hits free agency this offseason?
San Diego Padres predicted to land Framber Valdez in blockbuster deal
Both the Houston Astros and the San Diego Padres are coming off a year where standards were not met. Houston missed the postseason, and the Padres weren’t able to squeak by the Chicago Cubs in the NLWC.
This free agent season can bring about some changes for both teams, and former MLB GM Jim Bowden has listed multiple teams that could be landing Framber Valdez. The San Diego Padres were one of them.
After a rough season from Dylan Cease and uncertainty for the future of Michael King as a rotational guy in San Diego, the Padres could be making a move for Valdez.
Bowden predicts that the former World Series champion will get a deal that will pay him almost $32 million annually.
Although the veteran struggled in his last few starts with Houston, taking losses in four of his previous five, he’s expected to draw a lot of interest this winter.
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