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7 hours ago
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The Houston Astros will have a major decision to make with starting pitcher Framber Valdez this offseason. Valdez is set to hit the open market after this season, and there is little to indicate that the two sides will reach an agreement for an extension.
The team allowed Alex Bregman to depart in free agency this past offseason, and traded Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs in the same timeframe, so it isn’t out of the question that Valdez could suffer the same fate as them.
Valdez is pitching to a 7-4 record with a 3.10 ERA and 96 strikeouts this season, if he were to depart in free agency, the Astros are going to need to get busy in order to replace his frontline production.
Jordan Campbell of FanSided identifies Chicago Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga as a potential replacement for Valdez should he depart in the offseason. In Imanaga’s contract, the Cubs have the option of exercising control for the 2028 season, if the Cubs decline that option, Imanaga will have a $15 million player option for the 2026 season, potentially putting him on the open market.
Imanaga — currently on the IL due to a hamstring strain — has picked up where he left off last season when he finished fifth in NL Cy Young voting, pitching to a 3-2 record with a 2.82 ERA in eight starts. He went 15-3 last season as a rookie with a 2.91 ERA and 174 strikeouts on his way to being named to the NL All-Star team.
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