<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/astros-gm-dana-brown-drops-a-major-update-on-the-futures-of-kyle-tucker-framber-valdez');   ga('set', 'title', 'Astros GM Dana Brown drops a major update on the futures of Kyle Tucker, Framber Valdez');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Astros-news-Houston-GM-drops-a-major-update-on-the-futures-of-Kyle-Tucker-Framber-Valdez.jpg"></figure><h1>Astros GM Dana Brown drops a major update on the futures of Kyle Tucker, Framber Valdez</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-03-30T12:31:51-07:00">March 30th, 12:31pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-03-30T15:00:51-07:00">March 30th, 3:00pm</time><address><a>Steve Zavala</a>Steve is a freelance writer covering the world of sports for ClutchPoints.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>When Astros general manager Dana Brown reached an agreement on a five-year, $64 million extension with Cristian Javier in February, it seemed as if more such deals would end up being completed before Houston’s 2023 regular season opener. However, this will not turn out to be the case for the reigning World Series champions.</p><p>During a press conference ahead of the Astros’ regular season opener against the Chicago White Sox, Brown took some time to touch on the <a href="https://twitter.com/GregBailey13/status/1641510582862897157?s=20" rel="noopener">futures</a> of both Kyle Tucker and Framber Valdez with the team. Brown noted that extension talks with the two have been put on halt.</p><p>“We’ve put that on pause,” Brown said.</p><p>Tucker is under team control with Houston for the next three seasons. He will earn $5 million in the 2023 campaign after he lost his arbitration case in February.</p><p>Brown mentioned during the offseason that he was in “conversations” with Tucker regarding a possible extension agreement, but the one-time All-Star will head into Opening Day without having signed off on such a deal.</p><p>As with Tucker, Valdez is set to become a free agent following the 2025 season. Brown did <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/03/07/astros-still-working-it-out-with-framber-valdez-kyle-tucker/" rel="noopener">entertain</a> the idea of signing the right-hander to a new contract during the offseason, but the one-time All-Star will also enter the 2023 campaign uncertain of whether he will soon sign off on such an agreement.</p><p>Brown could end up facing extension dilemmas with both Tucker and Valdez. He did <a href="https://www.houstonchronicle.com/texas-sports-nation/astros/article/framber-valdez-kyle-tucker-contract-talks-17827612.php" rel="noopener">note</a> earlier this month that, as with Astros owner Jim Crane, he is not necessarily fond of handing out “big deals.”</p><p>“I just don’t like big deals,” Brown said. “If they’re open for something a little more than five, maybe I would be open to doing that. I’m sure Jim would be, too. I think Jim is very open. But doing 10-year deals, I don’t know if we’ll ever get to that point. That’s a lot of years. I’m not comfortable doing 10.</p><p>“I don’t mind doing 10 if you get a guy to the big leagues in the early 20s, really feel like he’s a big piece of the franchise, face of the franchise, and get him done for 10, and he finishes it out at 32-33. I’m OK with that. These deals that go beyond 33, for me, I’m uncomfortable. The analytics on that is not good.”</p><p>The Astros will open up their 2023 regular season schedule with a four-game home series against the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/white-sox-news-tim-anderson-sounds-off-on-the-possibility-of-this-major-change-with-white-sox" rel="noopener">White Sox</a>.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Astros GM Dana Brown drops a major update on the futures of Kyle Tucker, Framber Valdez

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/astros-news-houston-gm-sounds-off-on-difficult-extension-talks-with-kyle-tucker-framber-valdez');   ga('set', 'title', 'Astros GM sounds off on ‘difficult’ extension talks with Kyle Tucker, Framber Valdez');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Astros-Framber-Valdez-Kyle-Tucker.jpeg"></figure><h1>Astros GM sounds off on ‘difficult’ extension talks with Kyle Tucker, Framber Valdez</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-03-08T05:48:07-08:00">March 8th, 5:48am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-03-08T05:48:07-08:00">March 8th, 5:48am</time><address><a>Sam DiGiovanni</a>Sam DiGiovanni started at ClutchPoints as an associate editor in 2021 and became the site's Philadelphia 76ers beat reporter ahead of the 2022-23 season. He graduated from Marist College in May of 2022 and has written for TheKnicksWall.com and CenterFieldMarist.com in the past.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As the Houston Astros embark on their quest to repeat as champions, they are also looking to lock up the core of their team with contract extensions. Kyle Tucker and Framber Valdez are two of the next guys that they want to sign but general manager Dana Brown doesn’t sound too confident about it.</p><p>Brown said that the current contract extension talks <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/03/07/astros-still-working-it-out-with-framber-valdez-kyle-tucker/" rel="noopener">have not been easy</a>, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The Astros aren’t particularly close with either player, though they still have time to get deals done since both players are under team control for the next two seasons.</p><p>“These are going to be more difficult to get done at this juncture,” Brown said, via the New York Post. “It feels like they’re coming to a close. We’ll know within the next 48 hours. We’re communicating. It looks like we’re further away with Tucker, but we’ll see…At the end of the day we’re willing to secure players. But we have to meet somewhere in the middle…We still have three more years, it’s not the end of the world if we get it done next year or the year after.”</p><p>Although the Astros have extensions in place with key stars like Yordan Alvarez and Cristian Javier, they have lots more work to do to keep the World Series core in tact. Keeping the team competitive around <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/astros-news-jose-altuve-breaks-silence-on-future-with-astros" rel="noopener">Houston lifers</a> Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman is key. The Astros are set up to be <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mets-news-new-york-ties-astros-mlb-network-top-100" rel="noopener">one of the best teams in the 2023 season</a> and beyond thanks to guys like Tucker and Valdez.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Astros GM sounds off on ‘difficult’ extension talks with Kyle Tucker, Framber Valdez

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/astros-news-framber-valdez-drops-cryptic-world-baseball-classic-status-update');   ga('set', 'title', 'Framber Valdez drops cryptic World Baseball Classic status update');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Framber-Valdez-Astros-World-Baseball-Classic.jpg"></figure><h1>Framber Valdez drops cryptic World Baseball Classic status update</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-02-06T19:19:34-08:00">February 6th, 7:19pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-02-06T19:20:16-08:00">February 6th, 7:20pm</time><address><a>Rexwell Villas</a>A Communications Arts graduate from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines, Rex claims to have JR Smith's conscience with his shot selection. He has won a basketball, a baseball, and a football championship in fantasy all within a year.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Other</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Dominican Republic are among the favorites to win the 2023 World Baseball Classic, thanks to a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/team-dominican-republic-roster-for-2023-world-baseball-classic" rel="noopener">loaded roster</a> that features a plethora of MLB stars.  Among the names on the roster is Houston Astros starter Framber Valdez, though, it appears that <a href="https://twitter.com/Shawn_Spradling/status/1622748894860902408" rel="noopener">there’s a chance he won’t be </a>on the field to help his team win it all.</p><p>“I’m not ready, I have to rest my shoulder. I’ll talk to my psychologist to see what decision I’ll make,” Framber Valdez said about his availability in the 2023 World Baseball Classic (h/t Shawn Spradling).</p><p>Framber Valdez reportedly cited his high usage in the 2022 MLB season when he pitched for over 201.1 innings — the most of his career so far in the big leagues. That same season, he was a reliable presence on the mound for the Astros, as he racked up a 17-6 record with a 2.82 ERA and 3.06 FIP. He also recorded a 1.157 WHIP an a 137 ERA+ while also getting his first All-Star Game nod.</p><p>Framber Valdez shined for the Astros in the 2022 World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, as he made two starts and went 2-0 with just two earned runs on six hits across 12.1 innings of work. The Astros are retaining Valdez for at least one more season after he signed a 1-year deal worth $6.8 million with the team in January 2023.</p><p>The 29-year-old Valdez could also just be trying to minimize the risk of injury, hence his unclear stance on joining Team Dominican Republic in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. With only one year of guaranteed contract, Valdez can’t afford to deal with an injury that would put his <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/astros-riskiest-mlb-offseason-move" rel="noopener">2023 campaign</a> in jeopardy.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Framber Valdez drops cryptic World Baseball Classic status update

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/astros-news-framber-valdez-makes-good-on-9-year-promise-amid-world-series-heroics/');   ga('set', 'title', 'Astros’ Framber Valdez makes good on 9-year promise amid World Series heroics');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/astros-news-framber-valdez-makes-good-on-9-year-promise-amid-world-series-heroics.jpg"></figure><h1>Astros’ Framber Valdez makes good on 9-year promise amid World Series heroics</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2022-10-31T13:03:33-07:00">October 31st, 1:03pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2022-10-31T15:40:05-07:00">October 31st, 3:40pm</time><address><a href="https://joeymistretta.wordpress.com">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a writer/editor who covers multiple sports. Notably, Mistretta covers baseball, basketball, and football. He is originally from a small town in Southern California and spent the majority of his time growing up playing baseball and basketball. He graduated college with a degree in broadcast journalism. In addition to writing, Mistretta runs a sports Youtube channel and works as a seasonal play-by-play sports broadcaster.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Houston Astros star pitcher Framber Valdez recently made good on a 9-year promise. MLB insider Hector Gomez <a href="https://twitter.com/hgomez27/status/1587148016850436098" rel="noopener">shared a quote</a> from Valdez, where the Astros starting pitcher explained what led to him building a church.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Framber Valdez: "In 2013 I promised the pastor that when I got to MLB I would build a church. He always gave me money to pay for my ticket and to eat during the time I was in Guayacanes, DR. I already had 20 years and I couldn't find a way out, I hadn't been able to sign." <a href="https://t.co/pNdkNIucgZ">pic.twitter.com/pNdkNIucgZ</a></p><p>— Héctor Gómez (@hgomez27) <a href="https://twitter.com/hgomez27/status/1587148016850436098?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2022</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“In 2013 I promised the pastor that when I got to MLB I would build a church,” Framber Valdez said. “He always gave me money to pay for my ticket and to eat during the time I was in Guayacanes, DR. I already had 20 years and I couldn’t find a way out, I hadn’t been able to sign. When you do things from the heart, without expecting anything in return, God gives you many blessings.”</p><p>Gomez <a href="https://twitter.com/hgomez27/status/1587162566576541696" rel="noopener">also shared a video</a> of Valdez working on the church’s construction.</p><p>“I don’t get emotional because the community praises me,’” Valdez said. “I get emotional because it’s me who is doing this.”</p><p>Framber Valdez pitched to the tune of a 2.82 ERA during the regular season. He <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/astros-news-framber-valdez-makes-mlb-history-with-stunning-record-after-start-vs-athletics/" rel="noopener">emerged as a reliable option</a> in the Astros’ rotation. He’s followed that up with a 1.42 ERA so far during the MLB Playoffs. He most recently spun 6.1 innings of 1-run ball against the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 2 of the World Series.</p><p>Valdez is living the dream in the big leagues. But he has not forgotten where he came from. His humility is admirable without question.</p><p>Framber Valdez will now look to help the Astros win the World Series for the first time since 2017. The series is tied at 1 game apiece as of this story’s publication.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Astros’ Framber Valdez makes good on 9-year promise amid World Series heroics

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/were-winning-legally-framber-valdez-responds-to-renewed-astros-cheating-allegations/');   ga('set', 'title', '‘We’re winning legally’: Framber Valdez responds to renewed Astros cheating allegations');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/We_re-winning-legally_-Framber-Valdez-responds-to-renewed-Astros-cheating-allegations.jpeg"></figure><h1>‘We’re winning legally’: Framber Valdez responds to renewed Astros cheating allegations</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2022-10-29T22:58:02-07:00">October 29th, 10:58pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2022-10-29T22:58:45-07:00">October 29th, 10:58pm</time><address><a href="http://hoopnut.blogspot.com/">Enzo Flojo</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Framber Valdez and the Houston Astros are not cheating at the 2022 World Series. At least that’s what they’re saying and what they want us to think.</p><p>After their huge Game 2 win, <a href="https://twitter.com/chandler_rome/status/1586572185463832576">Valdez had this to say</a>:</p><blockquote>“Nobody should think it the wrong way,” he said. “Those are just tendencies I do throughout the game, distracting the hitter from what I’m doing. Maybe look at me rubbing different things and not think about the pitch that I’m going to throw.”</blockquote><p>Whatever it was Valdez was doing (or NOT doing), we cannot question the outcome.</p><p>On Saturday night, Framber Valdez was pitching for the Astros against the Philadelphia Phillies in Game Two. He gave Houston <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/astros-news-this-jaw-dropping-framber-valdez-stat-bodes-well-for-houston-in-world-series-game-2/">their longest World Series start</a> since 2019, allowing only one run over 6 1/3 innings. They won, 5-2.</p><p>Of course, given the Astros’ World Series past, any little act that appears suspect is sure to arouse the ire of fans and observers. In this game, spectators saw multiple anomalies with Valdez. This included what seemed to be a curious substance on his hand and the appearance of his changing his glove throughout the game.</p><p>In the following clip, the left-handed Valdez appeared to go to something on his right hand or wrist before rubbing the ball and throwing a pitch, which drew spectators’ attention.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">It seems like Framber Valdez is going to his right hand for a substance? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WorldSeries?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WorldSeries</a> <a href="https://t.co/ufIAM50D6Z">pic.twitter.com/ufIAM50D6Z</a></p><p>— Hard Rock Sportsbook (@HardRockSB) <a href="https://twitter.com/HardRockSB/status/1586514513666637824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2022</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>According to Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson, the staff did spot Framber Valdez doing this throughout the game. However, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/mlb/phillies-not-worried-about-astros-valdez-odd-hand-rubbing/2022/10/30/9792eba4-5812-11ed-ac8b-08bbfab1c5a5_story.html">he did not feel it was a problem</a>. He claims the Phillies also spotted it the previous time he played.</p><blockquote>“You know the umpires check these guys after almost every inning and if there’s something going on, MLB will take care of it,” Thomson said.</blockquote><p>Of course, assuming Valdez is looking for a performance edge based simply on what fans observed on their TVs is a big leap in logic. Given Houston’s history, though, it seems just right for MLB to be extra cautious about safeguarding the World Series’ integrity.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2023 SEASON STATS
IP	ERA	K	WHIP	WINS
58	2.33	16	1.19	1

2023 SEASON STATS
IP	ERA	K	WHIP	WINS
58	2.33	16	1.19	1

Framber Valdez

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Astros’ Framber Valdez makes good on 9-year promise amid World Series heroics

‘We’re winning legally’: Framber Valdez responds to renewed Astros cheating allegations

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