MLB Rumors: Jordan Montgomery update, Cease-Orioles match, Valdez trade

MLB Rumors: Astros 'listening' to trade offers for Framber Valdez

The latest offseason column from USA Today scribe Bob Nightengale is full of juicy nuggets.

As the Houston Astros rebound from their bitter ALCS defeat and the subsequent retirement of Dusty Baker, Framber Valdez is not on the move... for now. The Astros have no plans to trade Valdez this winter, per Nightengale, but the front office is "listening" to offers. More than five teams have checked in, so it could be a matter of when, not if Valdez gets traded.

Currently arbitration-eligible through the 2025 season, the Astros are running out of time to either move Valdez or pony up for an extension. The 30-year-old earned his second straight All-Star berth in 2023, going 12-11 in 31 starts with a 3.45 ERA and 1.126 WHIP. He managed two complete-game shutouts in the regular season.

Valdez complicated his future with a rocky postseason. He went 0-2 in the Astros' ALCS loss to the Texas Rangers, allowing 12 hits and seven earned runs in a combined 7.2 innings. The Astros landed Justin Verlander at the trade deadline, which supplies the team with another ace in the short term. That said, Verlander is also eligible for free agency (or retirement) in the near future. The Astros' bullpen could be due for significant changes.

Given the current state of the pitching market, the Astros can expect a fair return for Valdez should be truly be made available. Last season was littered with worrisome indicators — a 45.6 hard-hit percentage in the sixth percentile and an average exit velocity of 91.5 MPH in the third percentile, per Baseball Savant — but Valdez generally keeps the ball inside the park. His 55.2 ground-ball percentage landed in the 91st percentile and he allowed the fewest home runs per nine innings in the American League (0.5) a season ago.