Cryptic Framber Valdez social media post has Astros fans wondering what's going on

It would seem that Framber Valdez's tenure with the Houston Astros is coming to an awkward end. Valdez has been the ace of the Astros' rotation, but as a free agent this offseason, the impression is that Houston won't be the top bidder for his services. Whether the contract situation is to point to or not, it seems that Valdez hasn't exactly been on the same page as the Astros for most of the season.

The latest indicator of tension was Valdez's cryptic social media post that raised some red flags for Astros fans.

Astros star Framber Valdez just posted something fans can’t figure out

The caption translates to “Don’t hold on to something that harms you, just because sometimes it makes you feel good.”

The immediate guess is that Valdez is referring to the recent altercation with his teammate, Astros catcher César Salazar. Valdez seemingly crossed up Salazar, resulting in the starting pitcher hitting his battery mate square in the chest protector with a pitch. Publicly, the Astros have been adamant that Valdez didn't intentionally hit Salazar, but the video of the incident makes the intent seem pretty clear.

Given the attention that was paid to that incident and the subsequent reporting around it, and the idea that Valdez may have cost himself some money, it's possible this post from the 31-year-old starting pitcher was his way of saying he is moving on from the controversy. Though the "makes you feel good" aspect certainly speaks to the concern other teams have that Valdez may not be the greatest of personalities to add to a clubhouse.

Earlier this season, Valdez also made headlines for the wrong reasons, not shying away from being critical of the defensive play behind him and questioning the team's alignment in the infield. A reminder that the Astros have exhausted their efforts in trying to make sure Valdez doesn't come off in a less-than-desirable light, but it seems to have fallen on deaf ears.

For as great as Valdez has been in an Astros uniform, there likely is some relief that he will no longer be their headache after this season. As Valdez would say, "don't hold on to something that harms you".

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