Framber Valdez Makes Massive Decision Ahead of 2026 MLB Free Agency

The Houston Astros could be continuing to lose pieces as southpaw starter Framber Valdez made a decision regarding his free agency. He was offered the qualifying offer by the team, meaning he could sign a one-year, $20.025 million contract with the Astros or elect to go to free agency and see what he could get there.

Let’s take a deeper dive into what Framber Valdez decided to do and what it means for him this winter.

Framber Valdez Declines Qualifying Offer From Houston Astros

Framber Valdez is one of the starting pitchers who were offered the qualifying offer by their team and declined to sign it, making him an unrestricted free agent this offseason. Valdez is 32 years old, so teams can be a little more hesitant about making him a lengthy offer. However, the left-hander still has proven to be an excellent pitcher at this point.

Last season, he made 31 starts and was 13-11 with a 3.66 ERA over 192.0 innings. He has thrown more than 1,000 MLB innings and is pitching to a 3.36 lifetime ERA. Valdez is a two-time All-Star and was seventh in the AL Cy Young voting last season.

There are going to be a handful of teams that are interested in getting Framber Valdez on their roster and not worried about the compensatory pick that they will have to forego by signing him. Valdez also has playoff experience and in 85.0 career postseason innings, has a 4.34 ERA, meaning he can pitch at a decent level and be part of the top of a postseason rotation.

Valdez may not be the ace of a pitching staff looking to win a championship, but is a valuable piece that can step up and get the ball every fifth day. Do not be surprised to see some big-market teams looking to get their hands on Valdez for the next 3-5 years.