MLB insider teases Astros' potential trade return for star arm (if they dare)

Their Alex Bregman quest aside, the Houston Astros have made it abundantly clear that making upgrades to their roster might require moving some money around. General manager Dana Brown already went on the record saying that the Astros may have to get "creative" with their payroll with or without Bregman on their books. It was at that point that trading Framber Valdez started getting floated as a possible option to do just that.

There are very real pros and cons to moving Valdez. Houston certainly wants to compete in 2025 and beyond, so trading away one of the best left-handed pitchers is pretty dubious, if that is the plan. However, there is no guarantee at this point that they will be able to keep Valdez beyond next season and the estimated $18.8ish million that he is going to get in arbitration could go a long way towards rounding out other parts of the roster.

This very question was posed to former GM and current The Athletic writer Jim Bowden during a recent offseason Q&A. His answer certainly implied that such a trade is very unlikely, but he also said that the return for one year of Valdez would be substantial enough that the possibility can't be completely discounted.

The Astros trading Framber Valdez may be unlikely, but there is a world where it could make sense

Again, neither we nor Bowden are advocating for trading Valdez this offseason. Not only is Valdez a consistent Cy Young contender who has been the anchor of the Astros' rotation since 2020 while averaging a 3.12 ERA, but trading him away would also be a brutal signal to send to Houston's clubhouse right before a critical 2025 season.

The idea of trading Valdez isn't completely without merit, though. Let's assume a world where the Astros are successful in re-signing Bregman for what is likely to be a large sum of money. Jim Crane probably would want to stop the spending there, if we are being honest with ourselves, and there are other needs on the roster that need addressing.

As Bowden correctly points out, getting an offer for Valdez that is even worth considering isn't likely to happen until the top arms on the free agent market sign. If that happens and Bowden is right that Valdez would command "a package of two good prospects and one solid prospect", the Astros would probably have to consider the offer. That goes double if said offer included a big-league ready pitching prospect that Houston likes and would be willing to throw on the mound in 2025.

There are a lot of "ifs" there, creating a complex grouping of potential outcomes that would make trading Valdez make sense. However, if the Astros find themselves tapped out and needing to trim a chunk of payroll to be able to field a more well-rounded roster, such a trade could be what it takes to make that happen while also allowing Houston to plan for their future.

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