Astros loss of Framber Valdez draws mixed (and perplexing) reviews from MLB execs

When the Houston Astros' 2025 season came to close, Framber Valdez's departure was all but assured. Houston slapped Valdez with a qualifying offer, which he promptly rejected, and after a few months of lingering on the open market, the left-hander agreed to a three-year, $115 million deal with the Tigers.

The Athletic (subscription required) recently polled 36 executives, former executives, managers, coaches and scouts and asked them two questions. Who was the most irreplaceable subtraction any team endured this winter? And who was the best subtraction?

Oddly enough, Valdez's name conspicuously appeared on both lists. Five front office execs listed him as the most irreplaceable subtraction this winter, while three others list the southpaw as the best subtraction of the offseason. The reasons are pretty obvious to Astros fans, but the fact that Valdez's absence from Houston's roster is seen as both a positive and a negative can be somewhat confusing.

Astros' loss of Framber Valdez draws mixed reviews

Why is Valdez's loss such a big blow to the Astros? Simply put, he's a frontline starter and Houston failed to replace him this offseason. Sure, Astros GM Dana Brown brought in Tatsuya Imai, Ryan Weiss, and Mike Burrows, but neither pitcher has the pedigree of Valdez.

Valdez has been one of the most durable starters over the past several seasons, and despite a terrible stretch late last summer, still posted a 3.66 ERA and 3.37 FIP in 31 starts. That type of production will be difficult to replicate, even in the aggregate.

But Valdez's personality seemed to clash with some of the Astros coaches and his teammates — specifically Cesar Salazar. While Valdez has since cleared the air, the cross-up between he and Salazar hung like a dark cloud over his free agency this past winter, and no doubt led to the lack of interest among potential suitors.

Astros fans will soon find out whether subtracting Valdez from the roster was a good thing or a bad thing. Former Astros infielder Alex Bregman — who left the Boston Red Sox for the Chicago Cubs — was the top vote-getter (11) among the most irreplaceable subtractions of the winter.