HOUSTON, TX – November 19, 2025 – Veteran left-hander Framber Valdez turned down the Houston Astros’ qualifying offer on Tuesday, one day before his 32nd birthday, choosing to test free agency for the first time rather than accept a one-year, $22.025 million deal.
Valdez was one of 13 players who received qualifying offers, with only four accepting prior to Tuesday’s deadline. If Valdez signs with another team, the Astros will receive a compensatory pick in the 2026 MLB Draft—the second such pick they’ve earned this offseason. The Astros already secured an extra selection after the first round because ace Hunter Brown finished in the top three of the American League Cy Young Award voting.
A Tale of Two Seasons
Valdez went 13-11 with a 3.66 ERA and two complete games in 31 starts for the Astros in 2025, but his season was marked by a stark split. Through 21 starts, Valdez was 11-4 with a 2.62 ERA, striking out 141 batters over 134 innings. However, he went 2-7 with a 6.05 ERA over his final 10 starts, striking out just 46 over 58 innings. His late-season struggles coincided with Houston’s collapse, as the Astros went 25-28 down the stretch and missed the playoffs by one game for the first time since 2016.
The September skid included a controversial September 2 start against the Yankees that raised eyebrows. After giving up a grand slam to Trent Grisham on a pitch thrown despite catcher César Salazar motioning for him to step off the rubber, Valdez’s next pitch struck Salazar—who had called for a curveball—in the chest. While both players insisted it was simply a cross-up, Valdez’s reaction of turning his back on his batterymate drew criticism.
Astros Face Pitching Needs
Despite the bumpy finish, Valdez has been one of baseball’s top left-handers, making 121 starts and two All-Star teams since 2022. His departure creates a significant hole in Houston’s rotation behind Hunter Brown.
The Astros lost three pitchers to Tommy John surgery last season—Ronel Blanco, Hayden Wesneski, and Brandon Walter—while Luis Garcia underwent his second Tommy John surgery and will miss 2026. Cristian Javier posted a 4.62 ERA in eight starts returning from Tommy John surgery, and Spencer Arrighetti went 0-4 with a 5.26 ERA in five starts after recovering from a fractured right thumb.
“Right now, we didn’t sign Framber, and we’ve got to fill those innings,” Astros general manager Dana Brown said at last week’s General Managers Meetings. “We do need to create a little more depth and solidify the back half of the rotation.”
The Astros have signed 29-year-old right-hander Nate Pearson and will look to Colton Gordon, Jason Alexander, and Lance McCullers Jr. to help fill rotation depth, with top prospect AJ Blubaugh potentially in the mix.
