Arguably the best starting pitcher that hit the open market this offseason remains for the taking: former Houston Astros left-hander Framber Valdez.
Regardless of why he remains a free agent, Valdez is a proven, top-of-the-rotation force who pitches deep into games and is a consistent force who would be the ace for half of the teams in the sport.
Here are three ideal free agent destinations for Valdez.
Framber Valdez boasts a career 3.36 ERA. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
It’s difficult to gauge how the Giants view themselves, but they’ve shown a clear willingness to make bold moves under president Buster Posey (e.g. Willy Adames and Rafael Devers); Valdez would be a shrewd signing for San Francisco and fit its recent tendencies.
Yes, the Giants have added veteran right-handers Adrian Houser and Tyler Mahle. With that said, neither pitcher is starting Game 1 or Game 2 of a playoff series and veteran Justin Verlander is a free agent. Valdez, who primarily leans on his sinker and curveball while mixing in a chanegup, bolsters the Giants’ staff in a profound way. The southpaw is among the best left-handed pitchers in the sport, would add veteran pedigree and boost a starting staff that was 17th in MLB in ERA (4.10) and tied for 23rd in WHIP (1.34) last season.
In the Giants’ own division, the National League West, the Los Angeles Dodgers continue to create a historically stacked roster, their latest move being signing star outfielder Kyle Tucker, and the San Diego Padres are a perpetual force. Realistically, the Giants can’t match the Dodgers’ offensive firepower, but they can try to neutralize it. Valdez and Logan Webb would form a potent duo at the top of first-time MLB manager and former Tennessee skipper Tony Vitello’s rotation.
If Landen Roupp or Hayden Birdsong make the jump, the more, the merrier. But to be a legitimate playoff threat, the Giants need more oomph, and an accomplished left-handed starter fits the bill.
There’s no downside to how Valdez would fit in San Francisco. The Giants’ issue is that while Valdez would put them in the wild-card mix, he likely doesn’t make them a contender for the NL pennant.
Framber Valdez is a two-time All-Star. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images)
The Orioles have been aggressive in adding slugging this offseason, signing star first baseman Pete Alonso and trading for Los Angeles Angels outfielder Taylor Ward, but they still need to make an impact move — if not two — to their rotation to return to the playoffs. Enter Valdez.
The 32-year-old Valdez would fill a void in the Orioles’ rotation that was created by the departure of Corbin Burnes last offseason: an ace. As for last year, the Orioles’ starting rotation was 24th in ERA (4.65) and 21st in WHIP (1.32).
Valdez, who led the American League with 201.1 innings pitched in 2022, works through trouble, provides length and is accustomed to pitching in the postseason; he has thrown eight complete games since 2022 and made 16 postseason starts with the Astros. In 2022, Valdez posted a 1.44 ERA and 0.88 WHIP across four postseason starts (and 25 innings pitched) en route to the Astros winning the World Series. Valdez would, unequivocally, be the most reliable pitcher in Baltimore’s rotation and the backbone of its entire pitching staff.
Moreover, Valdez would form a dynamic duo at the top of the rotation with fellow southpaw Trevor Rogers, who posted a 1.81 ERA and 0.90 WHIP in 18 starts down the stretch of the 2025 regular season. As currently constructed, the Orioles are too reliant on bounce-back and healthy seasons from Dean Kremer and Cade Povich. Adding Valdez takes some of the burden off the aforementioned right-handers to blossom, as well as Rogers to build on his spectacular finish to 2025.
The Orioles, who won 96 games per season from 2023-24, are a great fit for Valdez. There’s just a franchise with more urgency to be a contender than Baltimore.
Framber Valdez won the 2022 World Series with the Astros. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images)
Valdez is exactly what the Mets need.
Yes, New York has signed infielders Bo Bichette and Jorge Polanco and proven relievers in Devin Williams and Luke Weaver this offseason. At the same time, the gaping hole in the Mets remains: they don’t have a proven ace. Valdez would become that pitcher.
Valdez beefs the Mets’ pitching staff across the board. He would become their Opening Day starting pitcher, providing much-needed length to a rotation that was 27th in innings pitched in 2025 (796) and a proven commodity without a “what-if” or questions about his development. He’s a sure thing.
When healthy, Kodai Senga is a force to be reckoned with; Nolan McLean shined in his first career MLB action last season (2.08 ERA in eight starts); Clay Holmes held his own in his first stint as a full-time MLB starting pitcher (3.53 ERA in 31 starts). If Senga and/or Tylor Megill are healthy and one or even both of McLean and Holmes build on their 2025 success, that’s a boon for the Mets, but it’s not ensuring that they make the playoffs.
After holding the best record in MLB at 45-23, the Mets proceeded to miss the playoffs last season. Getting complacent in the form of relying on internal growth for a starting rotation that was 18th in ERA (4.13) and tied for 26th in WHIP (1.35) would be unwise. Valdez offers a definitive answer.
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