Astros facing a harsh reality that makes a Framber Valdez reunion tempting

At the backdrop of the Houston Astros' offseason was the fact that they were losing starting pitcher Framber Valdez. There weren't sincere efforts to sign Valdez to an extension during his final year in Houston, and by the time the final month of the season rolled around, it seemed clear that each side was ready to go their separate ways.

Valdez seemed destined to be paid at the top of the market, and the Astros didn't have the payroll outlook to be the team issuing that deal. Add in the fact that Valdez wasn't shy about throwing the Astros' coaching staff under the bus, and crossing up his own catcher, and it was clear the Astros were comfortable with collecting the compensation pick from him signing elsewhere and moving on.

Framber Valdez return suddenly looks tempting for desperate Astros

That isn't exactly how the offseason has played out.

Valdez's market has stalled. Dylan Cease, Michael King, Tatsuya Imai, and Ranger Suarez have all signed ahead of Valdez, who seems to be dealing with the consequences of his cross-up with Cesar Salazar last season.

Some contract projections had Valdez making as much as $200 million this offseason, but that is off the table at this stage of the offseason.

Entering the week, the belief was that the New York Mets and Baltimore Orioles would make the strongest push for Valdez. The Mets can likely be ruled out after their trade for Freddy Peralta, and the fact that the Orioles preferred Suarez could be a sign that Mike Elias, a former Astros exec, thinks the 32-year-old veteran has too many red flags.

If the Orioles pivot to a different option, like Justin Verlander, the question of whether the Astros entertain a reunion with Valdez must be considered.

Intentional or not, 2026 feels like the last run for the Astros as we currently know. Pressure is on Dana Brown and Joe Espada to make the playoffs, and if they don't, there is going to be regime change. Not to mention, the current core of Houston's roster is begging for a reset, and likely only has this next season as a final push.

It won't be easy, considering the Seattle Mariners nearly reached the World Series last year, and the Texas Rangers trading for MacKenzie Gore clearly has them eyeing a return to contention. If the Astros truly want to make the most of 2026, they may be faced with no other option but to sign Valdez.

Otherwise, it may just be the final nail in the coffin of the run the Astros have been on over the past decade.