Pirates get bad news on signing Framber Valdez in free agency

Out of nowhere on Wednesday, the news emerged that the Pittsburgh Pirates are going after free agent lefty pitcher Framber Valdez.

The southpaw from the Houston Astros is the top arm remaining on the market, and it's been at least a little surprising that he's lingered this long without signing a contract somewhere.

Apparently, the Pirates figured they'd check in, because maybe they could get a steal.

Valdez has a career 3.36 ERA, and was at 3.66 in 2025. He's a reliable ground-ball artist who should age smoothly given his ability to induce non-threatening contact.

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Amid all the hype came a reality check from Pirates beat writer Jason Mackey in a post on X:

"FWIW, nobody I've spoken with describes this as likely. A long shot, at best. Although there are some intriguing links with PNC Park and lefty starters and Bill Murphy, potentially as a way for Valdez to have success and reset his market."

The mood drops quickly when you read, "a long shot, at best."

There are a couple of reasons the Pirates may not actually be in strong play here.

They let Eugenio Suarez sign a one-year, $15 million deal with the Cincinnati Reds rather than win that bidding war recently, and Valdez is going to cost much more than that, even if he signs for a discounted rate this late in the offseason.

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Pittsburgh also has a quality pitching rotation. Most of the Pirates' moves this offseason have centered around improving the batting order.

Yes, Valdez is quite talented and would surely improve the Pirates' roster. But they're less in need of an ace, or even a No. 2 starter, than the other teams still going after Valdez.

Pittsburgh will be better this season, maybe much better, but the chances of Valdez ending up in a Pirates uniform may not be as high as earlier reports on Wednesday suggested.

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