Rumors of Reigning Champions Houston Astros’ $150 Million Plan For a Top Pitcher Adds More Intrigue to Opening Day

The Houston Astros have had a relatively quiet off-season so far. Instead of making huge expensive signings, the team has chosen to go for smaller, more impactful additions. The Astros are coming off a World Series title in 2022 and are looking to build on that. Luckily, they only lost Justin Verlander this off-season and managed to keep the rest of their core together. 

Furthermore, they have been giving some key players new deals this off season and brought in a couple of impact players. They signed Jose Abreu in free agency and brought back Rafael Montero on a new deal. Most recently, rumors have popped up that the Astros are looking to extend a star player before Opening Day. 

Houston Astros’ star pitcher Framber Valdez on the verge of signing a contract extension

In 2022, Framber Valdez emerged as one of the Houston Astros’ best pitchers. Furthermore, he also emerged as one of the best pitchers in the Major Leagues. It looks like the Astros are set to reward Valdez for his fantastic performance last year. MLB Insider Hector Gomez shared that the Astros may finalize an extension with their star pitcher by Opening Day.

In a Tweet, Gomez said, “SOURCE: Framber Valdez could sign extension with Astros by Opening Day. According to a person close to the talks, he’s looking for a contract of $150 million and up.” Valdez looking for $150 million is not surprising considering his All-Star year in 2022. Furthermore, he will turn 30 this year and will probably be in his prime for years to come. 

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Fans have reacted to the deal and seem excited that Valdez may be signing an extension. Some fans even stated that he deserves more than $150 million. 

It will be interesting to see if the Astros are able to get this deal done before the season starts. They recently signed Cristian Javier for a long-term deal, and are looking to keep their two aces together for a long time. 

Valdez just had the best year of his career

According to Sports Illustrated’s FanNation, in 2022, Valdez had the “best regular season in his career”. This was proved by his first All-Star appearance and a 5th place finish in Cy-Young voting. Valdez even placed 20th in AL MVP voting.

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The Astros would benefit from signing him to a new deal this off-season. It would be a risk to allow him to enter free agency next year where they may lose him to a competing team. What do you think of the fact that the Astros are looking to extend Framber Valdez? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.