Framber Valdez

The Mets have interest in left-hander Framber Valdez, viewed as the best starting pitching on the free agent market.

The Astros are losing Framber Valdez to free agency, leaving them in need of multiple starting pitchers behind ace Hunter Brown. Houston has taken cheap one-year fliers on former top prospect Nate Pearson and KBO returnee Ryan Weiss to compete for spots at the back of the staff. Those are fine dice rolls, but they’ll need to…

The Astros are losing Framber Valdez to free agency, leaving them in need of multiple starting pitchers behind ace Hunter Brown. Houston has taken cheap one-year fliers on former top prospect Nate Pearson and KBO returnee Ryan Weiss to compete for spots at the back of the staff. Those are fine dice rolls, but they’ll need to…

The Astros could use reinforcements in the rotation and the outfield, and they need to sort out their crowded infield.

Gomez notes that the Mets are expected to hand the 32-year-old hurler a six-year, $200 million contract. After the Blue Jays inked Dylan Cease to a seven-year, $210 million contract earlier in the week, nothing would surprise us as this stage. As Valdez is an extreme ground ball pitcher, perhaps their advanced interest in him played a role in the Mets acquiring two-time Gold Glove winner Marcus Semien from the Rangers earlier in the week to bolster their infield defense.