Left-handed starter Framber Valdez is a free agent after eight seasons of consistent production with the Houston Astros.
Valdez spun a 3.36 ERA in eight years with the Astros. He received Cy Young votes in four of his previous six campaigns. He’s posted a bWAR of 3.2 or better in each of the last four seasons.
Given that teams are always in the market for left-handed starters, Valdez should have plenty of options this offseason.
Framber Valdez Next Team Odds & Favorites
The BetMGM online sportsbook doesn’t offer odds on Valdez’s next team, but don’t be surprised if you see the same names from Ranger Suárez’s next team market.
As with Suárez, I expect multiple contenders to be interested in signing Valdez. They are both left-handed starters with a strong resume. Valdez is two years older, but he’s also produced better results in his career.
In both markets, the New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, Baltimore Orioles, Houston Astros, and Philadelphia Phillies appear as the top potential destinations.
The Astros are open to bringing back Valdez after he’s generated a bWAR of 18.9 with them. But some of their recent moves suggest they are unlikely to win a bidding war.
The Mets have more money than nearly every team, but they haven’t demonstrated a willingness to hand out long-term deals to pitchers. The Phillies already have multiple left-handed starters, so I doubt they are motivated enough to pay the price for Valdez.
As a result, the Cubs and Orioles seem like the best fits for Valdez.
Framber Valdez Next Team Prediction
After predicting Suárez to sign with the Orioles, I’m projecting Valdez will ink a deal with the Cubs this offseason.
MLB Trade Rumors projects Valdez to sign for $150 million this offseason, which is $35 million more than their forecast for Suárez. The Cubs have the ninth-highest payroll in the sport, so they are more likely to outbid the Orioles (18th) for either pitcher.
Valdez has been highly reliable in recent years. Since 2022, Valdez has pitched 767 2/3 innings. Only Logan Webb (820) has pitched more innings over that span.
Matthew Boyd led the Cubs with 179 2/3 innings in 2025. No other pitcher finished with more than 160 frames. So, Chicago clearly needs an innings eater at the top of the rotation.
In addition, Valdez has a groundball rate of 61.5% in his career. He ranked in the 97th percentile with a groundball rate of 59.4% last year. That should help mitigate any concerns about the effect of windy conditions at Wrigley Field.
Steamer (available at FanGraphs) projects Valdez to throw 190 1/3 innings in 2026. He’s forecasted for a 3.47 ERA. That’ll certainly play for a Cubs team trying to win the National League Central for the first time since 2020.
Framber Valdez’s next team prediction: Chicago Cubs
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