In just a couple of weeks, MLB pitchers and catchers are going to begin reporting for spring training. It is going to get underway a little earlier this year due to the World Baseball Classic. Several stars are going to leave their camps to play for their countries.
Roster-building continues for most teams, including the San Francisco Giants. First-year manager Tony Vitello is beginning to have his roster settle into place, but there is one need the Giants still have.
San Francisco has a rotation that many believe still needs another starting pitcher. To compete with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the rest of the National League West Division, another arm is needed. There are still some remaining on the free agent market, and one of them remains linked to the Giants.
Framber Valdez Remains Linked to the Giants in Free Agency
The last nig-name pitcher to not sign yet is Houston Astros left-hander Framber Valdez. Things didn’t end well last season for Valdez. There was a September cross-up of catcher César Salazar that reportedly caught other teams’ eyes. Whether or not that has played a part in him still looking for work remains unclear. Jake Mintz of Yahoo Sports thinks that could be the case.
“Valdez, who started 166 games for Houston over the past eight years, drew a torrent of criticism last season when he was alleged to have intentionally thrown a pitch at his catcher’s face during a game in retaliation for a pitch-calling miscommunication. That incident became a huge story, and the consensus around the sport right now is that it’s having an adverse effect on Valdez’s free-agent market,” Mintz wrote.
What is clear is what he brings to any team’s rotation. The 32-year-old has eight seasons under his belt, but the results can’t be overlooked. A two-time All-Star and two-time Top 10 finalist for the American League Cy Young Award is as durable as a starter as anyone who was a free agent this season.
“He’s still going to cost a pretty penny — not many pitchers with a 3.36 career ERA and ample postseason experience hit the open market — but at this point, it seems like Valdez’s contract might come in below what was expected when the winter began,” wrote Mintz.
The longer Valdez remains a free agent, the less likely he is to get what he thought he was going to get. That would benefit the Giants.
Framber Valdez Would Be a Huge Addition for the Giants
Currently, San Francisco’s starting rotation is top-heavy. Robbie Ray and Logan Webb are at the top, but Tyler Mahle was signed this offseason, and he brings some injury history with him to the Bay Area. Adrian Houser and Landen Roupp are projected to be at the backend. Valdez would give the Giants three solid starters every fifth day.
Valdez was the ace of the Astros’ staff last year. In 192 innings, he went 13-11 with a 3.66 ERA and a 3.8 WAR. His 162-game average is 16 wins, a 3.36 ERA, and 207 innings a year. A lot of teams would sign up for that, and San Francisco should be one of them.
San Francisco Giants Linked to All-Star Free Agent Pitcher For Rotation Depth