The writing seems to be on the wall for Houston Astros’ starter Framber Valdez. In just a couple of weeks, when MLB’s 2026 free agency period opens, it is expected that longtime starter Valdez will sign elsewhere.
If Valdez departs Houston, that will leave the top of the Astros’ rotation very thin, but they could look to add another top starter in the trade market.
Astros trade idea lands Freddy Peralta
The trade rumors surrounding Freddy Peralta are heating up. Peralta is in his last year under team control before he hits the free agent market, and we have seen before where the Milwaukee Brewers offload their top players before having to pay them. This is another one of those situations.
In a recent Bleacher Report predictions piece by Tim Kelly, the Houston Astros are expected to land Freddy Peralta in what would be a blockbuster trade:
“One way to pivot would be trading for Milwaukee Brewers’ ace Freddy Peralta. It might seem surprising for the Brewers to consider trading Peralta after reaching the NLCS, but he’s entering his contract year and will likely price his way out of Milwaukee’s comfort zone next winter.”
Peralta not only solidified himself as the Brewers’ ace this season, but also as one of the best right-handed starters in baseball. He posted a 2.70 ERA over 33 starts, 176.2 innings, and struck out 204 batters. This was Peralta’s third straight season punching out 200+ hitters and posting 150+ innings.
The Brewers could ask for another one of the Astros’ starters as a piece in the deal and a prospect or two, but that would mean Milwaukee starts to lean on Jacob Misiorowski and Quinn Priester as their top-of-the-line starters.
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