Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez picked a bad time to record his two worst performances of the 2025 season. Not only did Valdez's last two outings result in Astros' losses, but he's also hurting his stock heading into free agency this coming offseason.
The Astros had an opportunity to upgrade the starting rotation at the trade deadline, and passed. Houston was rumored to be targeting many starters — including Padres right-hander Dylan Cease — nothing ever materialized and the Astros turned their focus toward the lineup instead.
Astros GM Dana Brown felt as though the prices attached to starting pitchers were far too steep, and furthermore, Houston had numerous injured starters slated to return to the rotation during the second-half of the season.