Houston Astros Ace Seen as Someone Who Should Be Traded This Offseason

The Houston Astros weren't able to keep their record-setting American League streak of seven straight ALCS appearances alive when they lost to the Detroit Tigers in the Wild Card round this year, putting this organization in an interesting position regarding where this team currently stands.

Throughout the entire campaign, the Astros looked like a shells of themselves, sitting in last place of the AL West at one point in the season that was a result of poor offense and injuries to their pitching staff.

Manager Joe Espada and the players should be commended for keeping things on the track so they could make a late-year charge that allowed them to win their fourth straight division title, but something felt off about this group prior to the playoffs.

It turns out those fears were right as they had to sit in the dugout and watch the Tigers celebrate on the Minute Maid Park diamond after being swept.

When taking a look at how Houston can improve this roster to get back to the mountain top, there really isn't a whole lot of flexibility because of their current financial situation.

If they re-sign Alex Bregman with the lucrative contract that it will take to get him back, that further limits what they can do on the open market barring owner Jim Crane having a complete change in ethos by becoming one of the top spenders in Major League Baseball.

General manager Dana Brown as already talked about the need for them to get creative this winter when it comes to pursuing potential upgrades, and that could result in them moving on from some players who have been staples in their lineup the past couple seasons.

However, Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report thinks the Astros should go a step further and trade away the ace of this staff, Framber Valdez.

"Even if Valdez is removed from the equation, the Astros still have Hunter Brown, Spencer Arrighetti and Ronel Blanco, plus Luis Garcia, Cristian Javier, Lance McCullers Jr. and Jose Urquidy awaiting returns from injuries in 2025 ... moving Valdez and his projected $17.8 million salary could improve the team's chances of re-signing Alex Bregman," he writes.

Not only would moving that chunk of payroll potentially help them find more money for Bregman, but what they could get back in return for the star left-hander might also benefit them greatly.

Whether that's restocking their depleted farm system with top prospects or bringing in some established players who can provide a boost at positions of need like first base, moving on from Valdez could be a real option for Houston this winter.

While he's had some great moments during the regular season, he's also struggled in the playoffs.

Hunter Brown looks like he could become the true ace of this staff soon, potentially even next year, and with Luis Garcia and Lance McCullers Jr. expected to be back for Opening Day, they should have much more depth in their rotation compared to last year.

Keep an eye on some more rumors circulating around Valdez and the possibility he gets dealt.