Houston Astros’ ace Framber Valdez reached an $18 million agreement for the 2025 season, avoiding arbitration. However, the left-hander is set to become a free agent after this season, which means he will likely earn a significant paycheck following his $18 million campaign.
Tim Britton of The Athletic recently estimated Valdez’s free-agent value at $134 million over five years. In contrast, Spotrac forecasts a $70 million, three-year deal for him, indicating a higher average annual and total value in Britton’s projection. Britton noted, “Valdez has had as much success as Cease and Gallen, but the difference is that he’s two years older.”
He pointed out that pitchers entering free agency at age 32 typically sign for three to four years, unless they have Cy Young awards like Zack Greinke, CC Sabathia, and Cliff Lee. Britton suggested using similar comparisons to Gallen, but for a four-year free-agent deal instead of six.
The Astros parted ways with Kyle Tucker, trading him to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for Isaac Paredes and prospect Cam Smith, freeing up some money. They also lost Alex Bregman, which further reduces their payroll. These moves help position Houston to offer Valdez a competitive deal.
Having been an ace since 2020, it’s likely the Astros will aggressively pursue him when he hits the open market, especially with the financial flexibility to do so. However, competition will be fierce, as several teams will likely target the 31-year-old lefty, who has the potential to consistently produce 4.0 to 5.0 WAR seasons.
