Astros on The Brink of a Blockbuster Trade! Houston Astros Manager Reveals Update on Potential Two-Time All-Star Deal
The Astros look a bit different here in 2025.
The club traded Kyle Tucker to the Cubs. Former third baseman Alex Bregman recently signed a free-agent deal with the Red Sox. Justin Verlander is gone. Ryan Pressly is gone.
Added to the Astros’ roster are names like Christian Walker and Isaac Paredes. In other words, the front office is not undergoing a rebuild. Rather, the team has simply changed out some key pieces for other established players.
The next player on the list to be replaced in Houston could be pending free agent Framber Valdez.
This past Tuesday, answering some questions from fans, Astros beat reporter Brian McTaggart (MLB.com) stated that a potential Valdez trade at the July deadline “depends on how the Astros are doing.” However, McTaggart added that “in the unlikely event Houston slips quickly out of contention in the first half, it would behoove the team to at least listen to some offers for Valdez.”
That all makes perfect sense. If the Astros do not intend to resign Valdez to what is likely to be a very lucrative contract, they need to get something of value back in return. The Houston front office showed their willingness to trade big stars with the Tucker move back in December.
Valdez has been among the league’s most consistently solid performers on the mound over the last few years, He has won at least 11 games in each of the last four seasons and finished inside the top 10 in A.L. Cy Young Award voting each of the last three. The 31-year-old southpaw was an All-Star selection in both 2022 and 2023.
It seems unlikely the Astros will end up dealing Valdez away this year, but it is certainly not impossible.
This approach may not please Houston fans though.
