Filling Framber Valdez Vacancy Will Be Test For Houston Astros

March 3, 2026 adminsr

Framber Valdez was a mainstay in the Houston rotation before joining Detroit as a free agent. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

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After missing the playoffs for the first time since 2015, the Houston Astros suffered another major loss when star pitcher Framber Valdez jumped to the Detroit Tigers via free agency.

But general manager Dana Brown believes his team can bounce back – with or without the ace right-hander.

“He had a great career here and was a big pillar in our rotation,” Brown said at Ballpark of the Palm Beaches Monday the Astros played the Washington Nationals in an exhibition game.

“But when these guys become free agents, it’s their prerogative. He got a nice contract with Detroit and we wish him nothing but the best. I think it was a good offer as well.”

Best Available Pitcher

Arguably the best pitcher to test free agency this winter, Valdez signed a two-year, $75 million pact that contains a $35 million club option for 2028 and a $40 million mutual option for 2029. It includes a $5 million buyout.

The 32-year-old right-hander, who signed just a week before pitchers and catchers were due in Detroit’s camp, joins veteran Justin Verlander as former Astros who are new members of Detroit’s rotation.

Astros GM Dana Brown helps Tatsuya Imai don a Houston Astros jersey after leaving the Japanese major leagues. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Speaking of the durable Valdez, who has won at least a dozen games three years in a row while pitching for the Astros, Brown said, “We still had some interest but he felt like Detroit offered a better deal. I think it was a good offer as well. He had a great career here and a great time.”

With only Hunter Brown and Tommy John survivor Cristian Valdez certain to open the season in the 2026 Astros rotation, the team is banking on rookie Tatsuya Imai, signed out of the Japanese major leagues.

Could he replace Valdez?

Imai’s Potential

“We like his stuff, he’s up to 96, and he’s competitive,” Brown said. “He will be able to post and give us some innings and take some of that workload.”

Imai got three years at $54 million plus incentives that could increase his deal to $63 million.

It’s a lot less than the Valdez deal.

“We try to do things in a range that makes sense for us,” Brown explained. “We were prepared to go a certain distance (for Valdez) but at the end of the day, we just wish him the best.

Astros owner Jim Crane has been consistent in spending money and even going over the CVT (competitive value tax), Brown added.

Both Brown and manager Joe Espada are working with expiring contracts.

Houston manager Joe Espada, under pressure to win, is in the final year of his contract. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)

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“We gotta win. That’s the bottom line,” he said. “Not making the playoffs, not meeting the mark, didn’t cut it last year. We had injuries and we were beat up pretty bad. So we came up one game short. It was still a disappointing season.

“I hold myself to a higher standard. Play good and good things will happen.”

A looming lockout could throw a wrench not only in the plans of the Astros but the entire world of major league baseball.

The current Basic Agreement between labor and management expires on Dec. 1, with clubs threatening to lock players out in an effort to impose a salary cap and other measures to reduce runaway payrolls.

The Los Angeles Dodgers, whose payroll leads both leagues, pay their players more than $400 million. The Astros are expected to rank 10th or 11th among the 30 clubs with a payroll approaching $248 million, according to Roster Resource.

Asked about the potential work stoppage, Brown had a quick response.

“Look, man, I’m optimistic,” he said. “We don’t think about that. It’s out of our control. We do think about the present and the future at the same time.

For the immediate future, he wants to guide his club back into post-season play.

“For 2026, I want to get back on top of the division and get deep into the postseason,” he said.

To do that, Houston will have to outplay the Seattle Mariners, who won the AL West last year but have never won a pennant, and the Texas Rangers, who won a world championship in 2023.