""Well, look, Framber's still out there," Brown said. "We don't know how that's going to play out. But we know that we had to get some starting pitching. So, we've been able to acquire three starters because we know Framber is still on the market. Us getting Mike Burrows is big, and Ryan Weiss, that was also big. So, we added those three guys.""
"Valdez is one of the top free agents of this winter's class. At the beginning of the offseason, MLBTR predicted him for a $150MM guarantee over five years, $30MM in terms of average annual value. The Astros generally don't like to spend huge money on pitching. Their franchise record guarantee for a pitcher is the $85MM extension for Lance McCullers Jr. back in 2021."
"When you're losing Framber - he's still on the market, he's out there - but if you don't get him, of course, you're losing those innings. So, adding these guys, we feel really good about it. They're all pretty good competitors as well. It's not especially surprising that things are playing out this way. Valdez is one of the top free agents of this winter's class."
The Astros entered the offseason needing rotation upgrades after injuries and Framber Valdez's departure to free agency. Framber Valdez remains unsigned and is a top free agent projected around $150 million over five years. General manager Dana Brown said Valdez is still available but emphasized acquisitions of Tatsuya Imai, Mike Burrows and Ryan Weiss to replace innings. The Astros historically avoid large pitching contracts and have a franchise pitching guarantee record of $85 million for Lance McCullers Jr. The club also operated with budget constraints to limit competitive balance tax exposure; Imai's three-year, $54 million deal has an $18 million AAV.
Read at MLB Trade Rumors
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