Astros Ace Available; Red Sox Are Logical Trade Partners For Two-Time All-Star

Boston could use the star power

Scott Neville | Dec 15, 2023

Astros Ace Available; Red Sox Are Logical Trade Partners For Two-Time All-Star /

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Could the Boston Red Sox pivot and trade for one of the most successful starting pitchers in the game?

All the talk right now has surrounded Japanese superstar Yoshinobu Yamamoto, with all of the most powerful franchises in Major League Baseball a part of the bidding war.

With all the attention on Yamamoto, it would be wise for Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow to explore other options, including one of the more battle-tested starters over the last few years.

"Executives from two clubs indicated this week that their teams are monitoring the possibility of the Astros trading left-hander Framber Valdez," The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal wrote Friday.

"For a variety of reasons, such a move could make sense. The Astros’ luxury-tax payroll, according to Fangraphs, currently stands at $237.4 million, slightly above the first threshold. Under owner Jim Crane, the team has exceeded the threshold only once, in the shortened 2020 season, when it turned out penalties were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Valdez, 30, is projected to earn $12.1 million in arbitration and become a free agent after the 2025 season. Trading him could provide a boost to the Astros’ farm system, which Baseball America ranked 27th in its midseason organization rankings. Perhaps the Astros could acquire help for their major-league bullpen, too."

Valdez posted a 3.45 ERA with a 200-to-57 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .228 batting average against and a 1.13 WHIP in 198 innings last season, finishing ninth in American League Cy Young voting.

I've been of the belief that the Red Sox should be only investing in starting pitching through free agency this winter. In an odd year, not only is the free-agent market loaded with frontline starters but most do not have a qualifying offer attached.

So why spend prospect capital and money when you can elect to only spend the latter? The Kansas City Royals were able to acquire Michael Wacha (14-4, 3.22 ERA) for two years, $16 million and Seth Lugo (8-7, 3.57 ERA) for three years, $45 million.

Why give a haul of prospects for a similarly productive player that's only projected to be $3-4 million cheaper? Well, the Red Sox continue to let talent sign elsewhere, so they are essentially forced into doing so.

With that said, Valdez has multiple years of control, eats innings and has a ton of postseason experience. If they are going to be dumb enough to give up prospects for no reason whatsoever, Valdez would be a strong target.

More MLB: Reported Red Sox Starting Pitching Target Signs With American League Foe

Published Dec 15, 2023

SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the Boston Red Sox for Sports Illustrated's new page "Inside The Red Sox." Before starting "Inside The Red Sox", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer. His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join the Sports Illustrated Media Group in his current endeavor as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Red Sox" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu