Astros signing Tatsuya Imai just made Framber Valdez’s fate hard to ignore

It has been very clear for a while that the Houston Astros and Framber Valdez were not reuniting this offseason. On top of the baggage that came with Valdez (seemingly) throwing at this own catcher, the Astros simply don't have the payroll space for the type of contract he's going to command. Oddly enough, the Astros moving on to Tatsuya Imai may have inadvertently made Valdez's landing spot clear.

Obviously the Astros are out on Valdez now, but another team that was interested in Imai during negotiations were the Chicago Cubs. Now that Imai is off the market, Chicago is running out of options that would actually represent an upgrade for them and at least one set of experts seem to think that the Cubs are a logical landing spot for Valdez.

Framber Valdez heading to the Cubs may be inevitable after Astros' signing of Tatsuya Imai

There's still a lot of offseason remaining, and there are a number of teams who seem willing and able to spend on their starting rotations. The Orioles have yet to take their rumored big swing on a starter and Valdez has been linked to them on multiple occasions this offseason. The New York Mets can't be counted out on almost anyone, even with the twists and turns their strange offseason has taken. The San Francisco Giants could make waves this offseason as well.

Nevertheless, the argument for the Cubs being Valdez's ultimate destination is strong. Chicago has been trying to upgrade their rotation and (in theory) have money to spend. Valdez's profile as a ground ball pitcher would work great with Chicago's infield defensive strength.

The one caveat is that the Cubs' front office has not shown much of a willingness recently to hand out nine-figure deals since Dansby Swanson's signed a contract. Chairman Tom Ricketts likes to make money while not spending money. Unless Valdez's market absolutely collapses, either he will end up somewhere else, or the Cubs will have to adjust their thinking.

Now that Imai has signed, fans can expect the starting pitching market to get moving again. Arbitration figures may occupy teams in the short-term, but spring training is coming up fast and Valdez is going to have to sign soon if he wants any say in where he ends up. In the coming days, don't be shocked whatsoever if there is increased chatter around Valdez and the Cubs because the Astros may have stolen Chicago's preferred alternative.