Framber Valdez

France underwent surgery last July to repair a capsule tear in his right shoulder which carried a 12-14 month return timetable. The additional clarity on his recovery timeline puts him back in Houston's rotation mix at some point during the second half. The -year-old righty has resumed a throwing program and is expected to progress long-tossing this week. With Framber Valdez, Hunter Brown, Ronel Blanco and Spencer Arrighetti locked into rotation spots, it'll likely be Hayden Wesneski opening the year as the Astros' fifth starter until some combination of Luis Garcia, Lance McCullers Jr. or France are ready to return.

The Astros and left-hander Framber Valdez have agreed to an $18MM salary to avoid arbitration, per a report from Chandler Rome of The Athletic. The deal comes in just $200K over Valdez’s $17.8MM projection from MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz and represents a $5.9MM raise over Valdez’s 2024 salary. Valdez is represented by Octagon. The 31-year-old…

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Blue Jays avoided salary arbitration with a $28.5 million, one-year deal, while Framber Valdez and the Astros reached an $18 million deal.

The 31-year-old southpaw had been projected by MLBTradeRumors.com to earn $17.8 million in the arbitration process, so an $18 million deal seems equitable for both parties. Valdez was outstanding for the Astros in 2024, going 15-7 with a 2.91 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and a 169/55 K/BB ratio across 176 1/3 innings in his 28 starts. He has also been a popular name in trade discussions as he's entering the final season of his contract.

Starting pitcher Framber Valdez and the Houston Astros agreed to a one-year, $18 million contract to avoid arbitration on Thursday, according to ESPN's Jeff