Astros pitcher Framber Valdez voiced his appreciation towards GM Dana Brown’s interest in resigning him to a new contract.
Last week, Brown shared publicly that he was in talks with Valdez’s agent on a contract extension, according to the Associated Press.
With the departure of three-time Cy Young winner and ace Justin Verlander, all eyes are on Valdez and the rest of the Astros’ pitching rotation.
Valdez will have a bigger role this upcoming season after coming off a great 2022 campaign. He went 17-6 with a career-high 194 strikeouts.
The 29-year-old was also a major contributor to the Astros’ championship playoff run. He went 3-0 and posted a 1.44 ERA with 33 strikeouts in 25 innings.
It would be important for the Astros to sign arguably their top pitcher to a long-term deal. Brown shared that same sentiment as he believes Valdez should end his career in Houston.
During the Astros’ spring training, Valdez spoke to the media about how signing a long-term contract would be for his career but says negotiations are being taken care of by his agent.
“It feels good that [Dana Brown’s] definitely thinking of me and good things are being said…I think it’s something [that’ll] probably be good for my career but those are things I’d let my agent handle… Obviously, the Astros are a great organization and for me, it’s something that would be an easy transition obviously just being here a lot longer but something that’ll definitely make me feel good.”
Valdez became an All-Star for the first time in 2022. In December, he was named a member of the 2022 All-MLB First Team. The Dominican-born star is eligible to become a free agent after the 2025 World Series.
