The Houston Astros have what will be the most highly-touted free agent this Winter in the form of Framber Valdez. The 31-year-old Valdez is set to turn 32 in November, right around when MLB organizations will be coming at him from all angles, trying to land the two-time All-Star.
Framber is in line to finish with what would be his fifth consecutive season with an ERA less than 3.50. In four of those seasons, he has thrown over 145 innings.
It is time to start thinking about the massive extension Framber Valdez may receive ahead of the 2026 season. He will likely get a qualifying offer from the Astros, but both parties want to settle on something long-term.
Framber Valdez Contract Prediction
The Houston Astros have two absolute stud starters at the top of their rotation. Paired with Valdez is Hunter Brown, who quietly has one of the best seasons in MLB for a right-handed pitcher.
In 145.2 innings pitched this season so far, Framber Valdez has a 2.97 ERA, 145 strikeouts, and two complete games. He may give up some hard contact at times, but he’s able to induce so many ground balls and outs quickly in the count, which allows him to go deep into games frequently. He’s averaging 6.3 innings/start this season.
MLBTradeRumors.com recently ran a story on the top free agents after the offseason, and gave this prediction of the extension he may receive:
“Were it not for the fact that Valdez will turn 32 in November, he’d be the No. 2 free agent on this ranking and comfortably projected for a $200MM contract. As it stands, he’ll be angling to become just the fourth pitcher to secure even a five-year deal in free agency beginning with his age-32 season (Contract Tracker link). A four-year deal for Valdez would surely clock in well over $100MM, but he should be expected to land five years and will have a real chance to join Zack Greinke as the only 32-year-old starter in recent memory to reel in six years. A deal in the $150-180MM range shouldn’t be a surprise, even after he inevitably rejects a qualifying offer.”
Houston is in the Middle of a Pennant Chase
Before the offseason, however, is the 2025 season, which is the here and now. Framber has already helped the Houston Astros win a World Series back in 2022, where he was simply incredible.
He led the American League in innings pitched that season with 201.2, recorded three complete games, and gave up a microscopic 0.5 HR/9. He even elevated his game in October, which is likely why the Astros will have no problems handing him an extension worth $30 million AAV.
MLBTradeRumors predicts Valdez will sign a $180 million contract, making it one of the largest ever for a southpaw starter.
The Astros are still in the middle of a tight American League West divisional race, and after trading for Carlos Correa at the deadline, they could be a dark horse candidate to advance to the Fall Classic. They are 67-52 and sit just one game ahead of the Seattle Mariners in the division.
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