Once again, Houston Astros starter Framber Valdez has been one of the better starters in Major League Baseball.
With his base numbers at a 2.97 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and 145 strikeouts throughout the campaign, it's only fair to suggest that Valdez will get paid on the open market. For the Astros, that isn't ideal, considering they haven't been willing to pay players in recent offseasons.
To make matters worse, many believe that not only will Valdez get paid, but that he could be the most expensive player on the market this winter regarding a starting pitcher.
Considering some of the other names available, it's possible that some will get paid handsomely, but Valdez has been the best of the bunch.
Andy McCullough of The Athletic recently wrote about that, noting that Valdez has been one of the better starters in baseball for nearly half a decade now.
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"Unlike Dylan Cease, Zac Gallen and Michael King, Valdez has put together an excellent platform season, setting himself up to land the biggest free-agent contract this winter.
"He has a 2.97 ERA and his 2.96 FIP is his best in a full season. He has been basically the same guy for half a decade: His sinker generates a lot of grounders, he doesn't give up many home runs and he strikes out about a batter per inning. He does give up a good deal of hard contact, but since most of it is on the ground, you can live with that. He'll get paid this winter," he wrote.
It'll be intriguing to see what the Astros plan to do with a player of his caliber.
Ultimately, they could go a few different ways, but the last thing they want to do is continue to allow players like him to walk.
Valdez is an ace-caliber arm, and there's plenty to be said about that for a contending team like the Astros.