Going into the Winter Meetings, there is one glaring need for the San Francisco Giants. Adding another arm at the top of the rotation is needed to compete in the National League West with the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres.
The Giants have been linked to some of the top free agents and trade targets. Dylan Cease of the Padres is leaving the division and heading to the Toronto Blue Jays. Robbie Ray and Logan Webb are predicted to be in the rotation. According to Bleacher Report, San Francisco is predicted to land the top remaining free agent pitcher.
San Francisco Giants Predicted to Sign Framber Valdez
Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report predicted where some of the top free agents match perfectly. He wrote that the Giants and Valdez are a perfect match.
“Logan Webb is a bona fide staff ace, and Robbie Ray enjoyed a surprise return to All-Star form in 2025, but the Giants need at least one more impact starting pitcher to make a serious push in the NL West,” Reuter wrote.
“After Dylan Cease landed a seven-year, $210 million deal from the Blue Jays, Framber Valdez will likely be looking for something similar to that $30 million AAV, though the fact that he is two-plus years older could limit him to a shorter deal.”
After Webb and Ray, San Francisco’s rotation is predicted to be rounded out with Landen Roupp, Trevor McDonald, and Kai-Wei Teng, according to Fangraphs. Signing Valdez turns their rotation battle in spring training down to three of those pitchers to battle for two spots.
Framber Valdez Has Several Suitors
With Cease off the market, all eyes turn to Valdez. Things might begin to heat up at the Winter Meetings beginning on Sunday in Orlando. Aside from the Giants, all of the other contenders will be in the mix.
According to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, the Baltimore Orioles are a favorite to land Valdez. That would be surprising. He also had the New York Mets in the mix.
“Baltimore GM Mike Elias was in Houston’s front office during Valdez’s first four seasons in the organization, while Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns was the Astros’ assistant GM when Valdez signed,” Feinsand wrote.
On November 25, Andy McCullough of The Athletic also linked the Giants to Valdez.
“The idea of pairing up Valdez, one of the game’s best southpaw sinkerballers, with Logan Webb, the best right-handed sinkerballer, is too good to pass up. The Giants are expected to land one of the major free-agent pitchers this winter. The duo of Valdez and Webb could serve up plenty of grounders for elite fielders Matt Chapman, Willy Adames, and others,” McCullough wrote.
In 2025, Valdez started 31 games for the Houston Astros, going 13-11 with a 3.66 ERA, striking out 187 and walking 68. He had a 1.24 WHIP. He was good down the stretch despite the Astros falling out of playoff contention. Ryan Finklstein of Just Baseball predicted Valdez would get a five-year, $160 million contract this winter.
San Francisco needs to add to their rotation to compete in the NL West. Adding Valdez would be a big move to do that. It’ll come down to money and just how far the Giants will go. If there was an offseason to make a splash for the Giants, this is it.
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