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The Toronto Blue Jays built on their divisional lead with a fourth straight win on Sunday, sweeping the Baltimore Orioles in the process.
The Blue Jays have enjoyed one of their best regular seasons in recent memory thanks in large part to a deep rotation of veteran starting pitchers. But with several of those veterans headed toward free agency, the team might have to reload with a new star over the winter.
With that in mind, Jackson Roberts of Fastball On SI predicted that the Blue Jays would be the landing spot for Houston Astros star Framber Valdez, who ruffled some feathers recently with a controversial move on the mound.
“The cross-up heard around the world a couple of weeks ago may have thrown a serious wrench in Valdez’s free agency, distracting from the fact that almost no one has been more reliable and durable over the last six seasons than the Astros ace,” Roberts wrote. “The Blue Jays are set to lose Shane Bieber, Chris Bassitt, and Max Scherzer to free agency, so if any team is going to take a gamble on Valdez, it might be Toronto.”
TORONTO, ON – APRIL 14: Ross Atkins, general manager of the Toronto Blue Jays, speaks during a press conference before Vladimir Guerrero Jr. signs a 14-year contract extension at Rogers Centre on April 14, 2025… TORONTO, ON – APRIL 14: Ross Atkins, general manager of the Toronto Blue Jays, speaks during a press conference before Vladimir Guerrero Jr. signs a 14-year contract extension at Rogers Centre on April 14, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images)
Blinch/Getty
On paper, Valdez should be one of the most coveted starters on the market this winter. He has a 3.35 ERA across his eight-year Major League Baseball career, making at least 28 starts in each of the last four seasons and making the All-Star team twice in that span. Spotrac projects he’s in line for a $203 million contract going forward.
His decision to cross-up catcher Cesar Salazar after giving up a grand slam drew a lot of negative attention and surely damaged his reputation in some eyes. However, if the Blue Jays are willing to put aside questions about Valdez’s character after that, he could make a lot of sense as their next rotation workhorse following the potential loss of their other starters.
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