Astros insider cites successful Brewers trade to validate offloading Framber Valdez

Astros fans won't want to hear this, but it may be time for Houston to trade one of their best players. Chandler Rome of The Athletic (subscription required) has not been shy about his thoughts regarding how the Houston Astros should approach this offseason, and oftentimes cites Framber Valdez and Kyle Tucker as potential trade chips in his analysis.

The thought of trading either player probably makes Astros' fans nauseous, but Rome's point is valid. Both Valdez and Tucker are heading into their final year of team control, and seeing as how Houston is finding it difficult to retain Alex Bregman, what's going to happen next offseason when both hit the free agent market?

Astros insider cites successful Brewers trade to validate offloading Framber Valdez

Rome's solution is simple — trade Valdez. And given the comp provided, one can see why the idea might actually have merit. Last winter, the Milwaukee Brewers surprised a lot of fans throughout baseball when they traded away former Cy Young Award-winner Corbin Burnes. The Brewers had already lost fellow frontline starter Brandon Woodruff to injury, and after dealing Burnes to the Baltimore Orioles, it was assumed that Milwaukee was mailing it in for the 2024 season.

But the Brewers actually came out on top. While they surely would've have preferred to keep Burnes in the rotation, Milwaukee was able to cobble together enough talented arms to keep them in the playoff picture throughout the 2024 season. The Brewers actually won the NL Central for the third time in four years, and were it not for Devin Williams' implosion during the National League Wild Card Series, Milwaukee could have made a deep playoff run.

Last year's NL Central was woefully underwhelming, and in many ways mirrored the AL West. It's easy to make the argument that, even without Valdez, Houston could make a run at the division crown next season. Astros GM Dana Brown has consistently bragged about his team's pitching depth, and with players like Luis Garcia, Hunter Brown, Ronel Blanco, Spencer Arrighetti, and Christian Javier, he's got a point.

The Astros have a lot of roster holes to fill, little money to spend (if Jim Crane wants to stay under the luxury tax threshold), and a rather underwhelming farm system. Trading Valdez would free up some payroll to make some key additions while also helping to replenish the Astros' pipeline. Though it would be painful to see Valdez wearing another uniform next season, the Brewers' success post-Burnes certainly offers Houston an encouraging blueprint.

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