Chandler Rome of The Athletic has reported that extension talks with Houston Astros starter Framber Valdez have been silent. The 31-year-old left-handed ace will hit free agency following the 2025 season. On January 9th, the Astros steered clear of arbitration with Valdez by locking him in on a one-year, $18 million deal. Valdez told reporters that Houston has yet to approach him to discuss an extension, which surprised him. The 31-year-old left-hander is a high-caliber pitcher who has dominated for the Astros. Last season, Valdez sported a 2.91 ERA with a 15-7 record and 169 punchouts. He has also come close to recording a no-hitter several times in his career. Valdez joins many players who are also seeking contract extensions, such as Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and star catcher Adley Rutschman.
Here’s another homegrown Astro discussing his possible departure – www.nytimes.com/athletic/613…
— Chandler Rome (@chandlerrome.bsky.social) February 13, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Astros’ Framber Valdez Surprised By Absence of Extension Talks
With the Alex Bregman sweepstakes coming to an end, the Astros can return their focus to their current roster. Bregman signed with the Boston Red Sox on February 12th. But with Bregman gone, will the Astros extend their ace? Valdez is a two-time All-Star and 2022 World Series champion. Since the Astros haven’t jumped quicker to signing him to a long-term contract, his market may open up eventually if that continues.
If Valdez does hit free agency, he would be one of the top starting pitchers on the market. Many teams would have no issues signing him to a long-term deal with his elite arsenal and command. According to Baseball Savant, Valdez sported an impressive groundball rate of 61.7 %, as well as an xERA of 3.41 and a barrel rate of 5.3% in 2024. He has proven that he is deserving of an extension, as he’s provided the Astros with consistency, landing in the top 10 in Cy Young Award voting for three consecutive seasons. Valdez has also averaged 200 innings per season, indicating his strong ability to eat up innings. He has an effective sinker that plays a significant role in his arsenal. His strong 2024 campaign along with six additional successful seasons in Houston shows it would behoove the Astros to give him a contract extension.
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