Controversial Framber Valdez moment during Tigers-Red Sox validates Astros moving on

Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Framber Valdez reminded Houston Astros fans what they've been missing — and it wasn't a good thing. During Tuesday's start against the Boston Red Sox, Valdez gave up 10 runs, including back-to-back homers, and was promptly ejected after inciting a benches-clearing incident during the top of the fourth inning.

Valdez saw crooked numbers posted on the scoreboard in three of the four innings he pitched, and after Willson Contreras and Wilyer Abreu took him deep, the Tigers' left-hander decided to plunk Trevor Story with the next pitch.

Obviously you can never fully judge intent, but anyone with a brain (or an understanding of Valdez's past actions) knows that he purposely threw at the Red Sox shortstop. If you need further evidence, that hit-by-pitch came up and in on Story at 94 mph and was the first four-seam fastball he'd thrown all season.

Valdez was ejected from the game and will likely face a lengthy suspension once Major League Baseball evaluates the situation. Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Chris Devenski was suspended two games earlier this week for purposely throwing at Cincinnati Reds' rookie Sal Stewart. Given the fact that Valdez is a starter, his suspension could stretch out over a week.

Astros fans have seen this version of Framber Valdez before

Valdez has a history of this type of behavior. Just last season, most Astros fans believed he purposefully crossed up his battery mate, Cesar Salazar, after a miscommunication between the two led to a grand slam during the latter-part of the 2025 campaign.

After the incident, both Valdez and Salazar denied any malicious intent on the part of the former Astros' hurler. But anyone with two eyes could see that Valdez allowed his frustrations to boil over, and as a result, he crossed up Salazar on purpose. If he's willing to do that to a teammate, there's no reason to think he's going to be cordial to an opposing batter after just giving up back-to-back jacks.

Frankly, given Valdez's history, he should be given a harsh penalty. There's no place in the game for this type of reckless behavior. Even his own manager, former Astros skipper A.J. Hinch, wasn't backing Valdez after Tuesday's events.

"We play a really good brand of baseball here. That didn't feel like it. I'm not judging intent. But I know when you go out on the field in those confrontations, you usually feel like you are in your right. It didn't feel good being out there," Hinch said after the game.

Those comments say it all. Valdez was wrong (again) and even though the Astros rotation is a mess, Houston is better off without their former All-Star.

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