MLB Executive Predicts that Astros Will Trade Fan Favorite Valdez at Deadline

Houston Astros fans have had to say goodbye many fan favorite superstars in recent years.

The wounds from the team's trade of Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs and Alex Bregman's decision to sign with the Boston Red Sox in free agency are still fresh, especially as both players thrive in their new homes.

But if one MLB executive is to be believed, it might not be long before the Astros move on from yet another one of their franchise cornerstones.

Could the Astros Move Framber Valdez At the MLB Trade Deadline?

MLB.com reporter Mark Feinsand polled league executives about who would be the biggest name moved at the trade deadline late in the summer.

While Miami Marlins hurler Sandy Alcantara and Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr. were seen by those polled as the most likely to get moved, one anonymous executive picked Valdez.

The Astros southpaw has grown into his role as the team's ace over the years, but the emergence of a new top-of-the-line hurler in Hunter Brown could make the idea of paying Valdez a lucrative deal less enticing.

The New York Yankees gave Max Fried a record-breaking $218 million contract this winter, the largest ever for a left-handed pitcher.

One could debate where Valdez stands in relation to Fried, but Valdez's camp would at least be looking to start negotiations around that number.

If history is any guide, Houston would not be interested. The team has shown time and time again, both under James Click and now Dana Brown, that owner Jim Crane is not interested in spending top dollar to retain the team's franchise players.

The front office was proactive about at least getting major value back for Tucker before he could walk for nothing, and if the Astros don't look like legitimate World Series contenders come July, the same logic could easily apply to Valdez, who would certainly command an impressive prospect haul if made available.