MLB Trade Rumors: Astros' Framber Valdez Being Monitored by at Least 2 Teams

MLB teams are reportedly monitoring the possibility of the Houston Astros trading starting pitcher Framber Valdez this offseason.

According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, executives from two teams have said they are keeping an eye on Valdez's situation in case he is made available for trade.

Rosenthal noted that the Astros' potential desire to get under the luxury-tax threshold could play a major role in the decision if Houston decides to trade Valdez.

At $237.4 million, the Astros are just above the first luxury-tax threshold, but according to Rosenthal, they have never been over the threshold while under the ownership of Jim Crane, aside from the COVID-shortened season of 2020, which saw MLB suspend all luxury-tax penalties.

Over the past seven seasons, the Astros have been the most successful team in baseball, making seven straight playoff appearances and four trips to the World Series, winning two of them.

Pitching has been a significant part of the Astros' prosperity, and Valdez has arguably been their best and most consistent hurler over the past few seasons.

The 2021 season marked the first time Valdez established himself as an ace over the course of a full season, going 11-6 with a 3.14 ERA and 125 strikeouts in 134.2 innings pitched.

He went on to become an All-Star in each of the next two seasons, including his career-best 2022 campaign when he went 17-6 with a 2.82 ERA and 194 strikeouts over an American League-leading 201.1 innings en route to finishing fifth in the AL Cy Young Award voting.

The lefty followed that up last season with a 12-11 record, 3.45 ERA and a career-high 200 strikeouts over 198 innings.

Valdez has also been solid in 16 career playoff appearances, including 15 starts, going 7-5 with a 4.24 ERA and 92 strikeouts over 80.2 innings.

The 30-year-old veteran is arbitration-eligible for the next two seasons before becoming a free agent in 2026, and he is in line to earn a significant raise from the $6.8 million he made last season, per Spotrac.

If the Astros trade Valdez, it would leave 40-year-old future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander, Hunter Brown and Cristian Javier as the top dogs in the starting rotation.

Lance McCullers Jr. could also figure into the mix, but injuries have limited him to a total of 265 innings pitched over the past four seasons.

Houston typically always finds a way to contend for championships regardless of what personnel moves it makes, but moving a reliable starter like Valdez without properly replacing him could be a case of the Astros playing with fire.