Speculation About Astros Trading Framber Valdez Has Already Begun

The Houston Astros are one game above .500 entering their series finale against their in-state and division rival Texas Rangers.

It's an important contest.

The Rangers have won two out of three, and since the AL West is already a tight race this early in the season, the Astros can't afford to lose a series to a team that's projected to come out on top when the campaign eventually comes to a close.

Thankfully, their ace Framber Valdez is scheduled to take the mound.

The left-hander has been a steady force throughout his career in Houston, and while his 2-4 record and 3.54 ERA suggests he hasn't quite been the AL Cy Young contender that he's been the last three years, he is also no stranger to performing at a high level in big games.

How long that remains the case in an Astros uniform will be interesting to see.

Valdez will become a free agent after the season since he and the team couldn't work out a contract extension, and based on what high-end lefties got this past winter on the open market, it seems like he'll have plenty of suitors who will eventually lure him away from Houston.

Because of that, there has been some thought that he could be traded ahead of the deadline so the franchise can get something back in return instead of losing him for nothing.

That speculation has started to begin with Leah Vann of Chron.com predicting that he will be dealt this summer.

"The Astros will trade Framber Valdez at the deadline to add depth to the lineup and utilize a six-man rotation featuring several rookies," she wrote as a bold prediction.

In the past, this would have been looked upon as crazy.

The Astros have historically let their star players hit the open market when their contracts run out.

But that changed this past offseason.

Houston shockingly traded Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs in a winter blockbuster knowing they wouldn't be able to re-sign him at the conclusion of the 2025 campaign, opting to get return pieces back in exchange for one of the best outfielders in the sport.

Could they do the same with Valdez?

That likely depends on their record when it comes time to make that decision.

However, after they shipped Tucker out of town, it would not be surprising to see them do the same thing with Valdez.

More From Astros On SI