By Zach PressnellShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberHouston Astros pitcher Framber Valdez was at the center of some controversy this season after he seemingly crossed his catcher up on purpose out of anger. While this has never been confirmed, it's something he's likely going to need to answer to as he sits in free agency.
With Dylan Cease off the board, Valdez could be the top pitcher left on the market this winter, which likely means he's headed for a huge deal.
Just Baseball's Ryan Finkelstein recently projected Valdez would sign a massive five-year, $160 million deal in free agency this winter.
..."Valdez made 31 starts for the third time in the last four seasons (the only exception was a 28-start campaign in 2024). In each of those campaigns, he finished with an ERA well below 4.00," Finkelstein wrote. "There was a stretch this past season where the Astros won 13 consecutive games started by Valdez. One of the best groundball pitchers in baseball, Valdez is an innings-eater who is invaluable for the regular season, who also has plenty of experience pitching well in October."
With Cease off the board, there are bound to be a few teams getting desperate for top pitching talent. As a result, teams like the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants could get into a bidding war for Valdez's services.
He could land a deal closer to $200 million if the bidding gets out of hand a bit. Either way, the lefty has been incredible over the last few seasons, and he's bound to cash in on that production this winter.
More MLB: Yankees All-Star Projected To Sign 3-Year, $51 Million Deal After Down Year
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