With Spring Training just around the corner, one notable player finds himself without a team: Framber Valdez. Projected to be one of the biggest free agents this offseason, the Houston Astros pitcher is yet to sign with an MLB team this season. There are many speculated reasons for the long delay in Valdez's search, but there's no shortage of teams that want the star's services.
The Baltimore Orioles have been reported as the leading candidate to land Valdez's services this season. In his report on the Astros pitcher's free agency, the MLB insider reiterated that the AL East team is the “team to beat”, so to speak, in the Valdez sweepstakes.
“The Orioles remain the heavy favorite to sign Valdez, and could turn a fabulous winter into a spectacular one,” Nightengale wrote in his column.And let’s face it, if they’re going to have a real chance to bounce back and win the AL East, they need another front-line starter.”
That being said, there's another threat looming. It was reported yesterday that the Blue Jays are another team in contention for Framber Valdez. Now, Nightengale reports that Toronto is the “biggest threat” to snag the Astros pitcher from the Orioles.
“The Orioles’ biggest threat to signing Valdez is the Blue Jays,” Nightengale explains. “They’ve had perhaps the best winter of any team in baseball, spending $337 million to give them every chance for a return trip to the World Series. So why not push it closer to $500 million?”
The Blue Jays already made a major swing this offseason by signing Cy Young contender Dylan Cease. Cease joins a star-studded rotation that features Kevin Gausman, Jose Berrios, and playoff breakout star Trey Yesavage. Valdez would be an elite addition to that rotation. It also has the added benefit of denying the Orioles, a division rival, a chance to add to their already stellar offseason.
Other teams that are in the mix for Valdez, according to Nightengale, are the Padres, Cubs, Tigers, and Brewers.
