MLB Rumors: Framber Valdez Linked To Perfect Free Agency Landing Spot
San Diego just watched Mike Shildt retire and is bracing to lose Dylan Cease in free agency while Michael King is expected to decline his mutual option.
That leaves Nick Pivetta, Yu Darvish, Joe Musgrove, JP Sears, and Randy Vásquez as the projected SP options, with Darvish aging and Musgrove returning from Tommy John.
Petco Park quietly plays friendly for pitchers, and Valdez’s ground-ball profile fits the yard. The question is budget. With roughly $20 million of breathing room before bumping into the 2026 tax line, A.J. Preller has to decide whether a top-of-market commitment for a 31-year-old lefty is the single swing that keeps the window open.
Here’s a look at what the cost of the pitching market will be like in the offseason:
— SleeperAstros (@SleeperAstros) October 27, 2025
Framber Valdez - 6/190m
Ranger Suarez - 6/164m
Dylan Cease - 6/187m
Michael King - 3/75m
Zac Gallen - 5/135m
Merrill Kelly - 2/30m
Shane Bieber - 3/75m
Pricey, pricey, pricey 😬 pic.twitter.com/BLrfTEjhpl
Why Valdez is the cleanest ace play for San Diego
Valdez brings four straight 180-plus inning seasons including postseason, double-digit wins in five consecutive years, and October chops highlighted by a 1.44 ERA during Houston’s 2022 title run.
He also just posted a 3.66 ERA in a down year, which could soften the bidding enough for a creative structure. Petco helps mitigate the occasional hard contact, and San Diego’s bullpen can shorten his outings without overexposing him.
The fit is even tighter when you consider 2026 volatility behind Pivetta. Counting on Darvish for 30 starts is optimistic, and Musgrove’s workload will be managed. If Preller wants a stabilizer to front the staff while a new manager settles in, Valdez checks every box.
If Framber Valdez leaves in free agency, the Astros will feel the loss of the reliable innings he eats up every season. pic.twitter.com/iFdisDSTb9
— Crush City Territory (@Crush_City_Pod) October 21, 2025
How the Padres make the math work
Spotrac-level projections peg a six-year, $200 million range for Valdez. To land him, the Padres can lean on expiring deals from Cease and King, Darvish’s step-down salary, and optional money shuffling.
If the market still runs hot, Plan B likely turns to innings multipliers rather than one mega-contract. Names like Shane Bieber and Merrill Kelly fit as shorter-term anchors, and San Diego can layer value with Sears and Vásquez while letting Musgrove ramp.
Preller has lived on these margins before, and the club just proved it by nabbing Pivetta on a mid-tier deal.
Photo Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
