Pirates Reportedly a Suitor for Framber Valdez
The Pittsburgh Pirates have their eye on a free agent - and it’s the most unlikeliest of targets. According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Pirates are an aggressive suitor for left-hander Framber Valdez.
Valdez entered this offseason as the top free agent lefty starter on the open market.
A two-time All-Star, Valdez has spent his entire career with the Houston Astros. Over the last five seasons, he’s posted a 3.20 ERA. In 2022, Valdez finished fifth in AL Cy Young voting.
Since debuting for the Astros in 2018, Valdez has been one of the strongest, ground ball pitchers in the game; registering a 61.5% GB rate.
It’s been an unusually aggressive offseason for the Pirates, which has included making a legitimate offer to Kyle Schwarber, trading for Brandon Lowe, signing Ryan O’Hearn, and just missing out on signing Eugenio Suarez.
New Pirates pitching coach, Bill Murphy, was instrumental in developing Valdez in Houston, so there is a connection.
It may seem like a pipe dream, but adding Valdez to the Pirates staff would easily give them one of the best rotations in baseball.