Framber Valdez: the Astros are open to bringing him back

Over the past few weeks, most of the big free agents on the market have signed contracts. Kyle Tucker, Bo Bichette, Cody Bellinger, Ranger Suarez, and Alex Bregman all signed deals in January.

That means that at this point, there aren't a ton of big names left, especially among hitters. In fact, there are still a few interesting pitchers who haven't found a taker yet.

And at the top of the list is Framber Valdez. The left-hander has been a valuable asset to the Astros for several years, and we know he could help any rotation.

There's been a lot of talk about the Orioles in this case, but today we learned that the Astros are interested in bringing him back.

That's according to the club's GM, Dana Brown.

Astros GM Dana Brown says they're still open to bringing back Framber Valdez. pic.twitter.com/drX1qf0yUO

— Will Kunkel (@WillKunkelV) February 3, 2026

One wonders to what extent the club is really interested in rolling out the red carpet to bring Valdez back to Houston. We know that things ended on a sour note between the organization and him, when Valdez had a run-in with his catcher during a game.

And according to the GM, there haven't been any talks between Valdez and the Astros for quite some time.

Astros ‘haven't had any conversations lately' about Framber Valdez return, says GM Dana Brown pic.twitter.com/lc94BnmMA2

— Jason Bristol (@JBristolKHOU) February 3, 2026

That said, it seems that the club doesn't want to close the door just yet. We know that the Astros already signed Tatsuya Imai this winter, but the fact remains that the bottom of the rotation could really use some improvement.

Right now, they're counting on Lance McCullers Jr. as a regular in the rotation… even though he's frequently injured and no longer the pitcher he once was.

However, the Astros may decide to look elsewhere for a starter if the club isn't willing to pay top dollar for Valdez. Guys like Nick Martinez, Zac Gallen, Chris Bassitt, and Zack Littell, among others, could be slightly less expensive options.

And of course, the idea of Justin Verlander returning to Houston (for one last run?) is not out of the question either.

This content was created with the help of AI.