The New York Mets appear ready to spend big heading into the 2026 season. A recent report positions them as the team willing to offer $200 million for Framber Valdez, who until last season was a teammate of Jose Altuve on the Astros’ defense.
The report was circulated by Hector Gómez, whose post on X, translated from Spanish, read: “The Mets are the favorites to sign Framber Valdez. It is expected that they will sign him for 6 years and US$200 million.” The MLB insider’s report immediately drew over 50 replies.
Valdez had an $18 million contract with the Astros last year. Houston has been his sole MLB team throughout his career, where he has earned a total of $41 million, with the last three years being the most lucrative.
Valdez is 32 but remains in peak form
It is true that Valdez is 32 years old, and it is uncommon to hear of a player his age being offered such a large contract for that amount of money. However, last season was strong for him, featuring a 3.66 ERA, 192 innings pitched, a 13-11 record, and two complete games across 31 starts, the fourth time in four years he has logged over thirty starts.
Framber Valdez #59 of the Houston Astros pitches.
His performance pace has not dropped off in recent seasons while defending the Astros alongside Altuve. He has been a very reliable pitcher who also has ample postseason experience, totaling 17 games with a 7-6 record and a 4.34 ERA, having won a World Series ring with Houston in 2022.
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Do the Mets need more pitchers?
Given the struggles the Mets endured during the final four weeks of the 2025 regular season, where they had significant difficulty winning games, the team needs help not just with more starters but also in the bullpen overall. Furthermore, since it is still unknown if Edwin Díaz will return to the team, they must find a way to replace him or at least have an option on the table just in case.
