Astros have to be saying “we told you so” after Framber Valdez’s market reality was revealed

Spring training games will be played this month, and the free-agent market has mostly settled. Kyle Tucker landed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Kyle Schwarber back with the Philadelphia Phillies, Alex Bregman off to the Chicago Cubs, and Pete Alonso ushering in a new era with the Baltimore Orioles. The big names of the offseason already have shiny new deals, except former Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez.

The Astros never quite appeared to be in a rush to sign Valdez, and his final season with Houston certainly felt like a farewell. Or, in other words, it felt like each side itching for the offseason so that they could be done with one another.

With his performance on the mound, Valdez was in line to be paid at the top of the market, and that's a level of spending the Astros have rarely reached when it comes to older starting pitchers. What clouded his free agency is that he seemed to have intentionally crossed up his catcher, and if that wasn't enough, he had a willingness over the summer to question Houston's coaching staff.

Astros may feel vindicated by how Framber Valdez’s market collapsed

If you're looking for a case study on how to lose money in free agency, Valdez is the example.

Once viewed as the top pitcher available in free agency, teams haven't been lining up to sign the 32-year-old. The Baltimore Orioles have been the team linked the most to Valdez, but they may have shifted their focus to options like Justin Verlander or Lucas Giolito. The San Francisco Giants were thought to be a potential suitor, but MLB Network's Mark Feinsand doesn't see them offering a long-term deal.

The MLB insider ran through a list of potential fits, and all read as "eh, they could be an option, but it's hard to know if they are actually interested". Chalk this up as a victory for the Astros.

There will be a debate if Houston's rotation is better off without Valdez, but there's no doubt they dodged a bullet by avoiding an extension with him. While there was never a reported offer from the Astros, an in-season extension likely would have been approaching $200 million. The longer Valdez's free agency drags on, the more the Astros look like geniuses for avoiding such a deal.