Valdez declined the Astros' one-year, $22.025 million qualifying offer Tuesday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
It's no surprise the left-hander rejected the qualifying offer since he's expected to land a significant multi-year deal in free agency. Valdez has been one of the most consistent starting pitchers in baseball since he became a full-time member of Houston's starting rotation in 2020, though his 3.66 ERA and 1.24 WHIP last season were his worst marks since the 2019 and 2021 campaigns, respectively. Due to the qualifying offer, the Astros will receive draft-pick compensation if he signs with another team.
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Framber Valdez: Handed qualifying offer
Rotowire
The Astros extended a one-year, $22.05 million qualifying offer to Valdez on Thursday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
Valdez is expected to decline the offer and pursue a significantly larger deal as a free agent this offseason. Thursday's move ensures the Astros will receive a compensatory draft pick if Valdez does not return to Houston. He logged a 3.66 ERA and a 187:68 K:BB across 192 innings in 2025, and the soon-to-be 32-year-old has now thrown at least 175 innings in four consecutive campaigns.
Valdez (13-11) earned the win against the Athletics on Thursday, allowing one run on seven hits and two walks while striking out 10 batters across seven innings.
Valdez dominated the A's right out of the gate, striking out five of the first six batters he faced, He generated 17 whiffs on 92 pitches (65 strikes) and reached double-digit strikeouts for the fifth time this season. It was a welcome return to form for Valdez, who yielded five earned runs while failing to complete five innings in both of his prior two starts. He'll end the regular season with a 3.66 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 187:68 K:BB across 192 innings.
Astros' Framber Valdez: Struggles again with control
Rotowire
Valdez (12-11) took the loss in the Saturday's contest against the Mariners, allowing five runs on six hits and four walks over 4.2 innings. He struck out four.
The Houston southpaw issued four free passes for the second consecutive outing, and he's now yielded four or more walks eight times this season across 30 total starts. The Seattle lineup kept peppering Valdez with baserunners and runs, with the fourth inning the only frame in which he didn't allow a run. The 31-year-old lefty has labored since the All-Star break, producing an uncharacteristic 5.63 ERA and 1.47 WHIP across 64 frames. Valdez is currently scheduled to make his final start of the season on the road against the Athletics next week.
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