The Houston Astros fell apart down the stretch this season and ended up missing the postseason as the Seattle Mariners surged into October.
In the offseason, the Astros need to make some upgrades, but first and foremost, they need to retain their free agent talent. Last offseason, the Astros lost Alex Bregman in free agency and traded Kyle Tucker. They can’t afford to lose their ace, Framber Valdez, this winter.
MLB.com recently put together a poll of 46 voters and asked them where each of the top free agents would sign. A majority of the voters predicted Valdez would bolt from Houston and sign with the reigning American League champions, the Toronto Blue Jays.
“Things were going pretty smoothly for Valdez as he entered the month of August — the veteran left-hander owned a 2.62 ERA over 21 starts (134 innings) for the Astros,” MLB’s Mark Feinsand wrote. “But the two-time All-Star struggled over the final two months of the 2025 season, posting a 6.05 ERA in 10 starts.
“It remains to be seen whether that stumble — and a bizarre incident in which he hit his catcher in the chest with a pitch during a Sept. 2 game — will cost him in free agency, but given his overall track record, Valdez should be a sought-after prize on this year’s starting pitcher market.”
The Blue Jays desperately need to add pitching to their roster going forward.
Chasing Valdez, who’s one of the top pitchers in free agency, would be the best addition the Blue Jays could make.
Toronto is likely chasing a reunion with Bo Bichette above anything else, but making Valdez the No. 2 priority doesn’t sound like a bad idea.
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