One of baseball’s top left-handed pitchers is on the move.
It is the largest average annual value for a left-handed and Latin American pitcher.
After eight seasons with the Houston Astros, Valdez will suit up for a new franchise for the first time in his career.
In 2025, the 32-year-old made 31 starts for the Astros and pitched to a 3.66 ERA.
One of MLB’s most consistent starters, Valdez features a sinker-heavy arsenal that allows him to induce groundballs at a high rate and work deep into games.
A two-time all-star, Valdez ranks second among qualified pitchers in innings pitched since 2022, first in wins, sixth in strikeouts, fourth in ground-ball rate and eighth in home runs allowed per nine innings.
For his career, Valdez owns an 81-52 record, a 3.36 ERA, 1,053 strikeouts and 1,080.2 innings pitched. He also helped the Astros win the World Series in 2022 and has pitched in 17 post-season games.
There will be some perceived baggage with Valdez after the southpaw seemingly crossed up catcher César Salazar intentionally after giving up a frustrating grand slam. Valdez said after the Sept. 2 contest that he didn’t hit his teammate on purpose.