The Houston Astros have become accustomed to losing their top players, and they always seem to manage to land on their feet. But how long can they continue this delicate balancing act?

Now, the Astros have to worry about star pitcher Framber Valdez, who is slated to hit free agency next offseason. And as of now, it doesn’t seem like Houston is making a concerted effort to retain him.

On Friday, Valdez said that the Astros had not approached him with any contract extension talks and added that he thinks he will be hitting the open market next year, via Chandler Rome of The Athletic.

This is obviously significant news for Houston, which has long boasted one of the biggest payrolls in baseball but now may be reaching a boiling point.

Valdez has been a regular member of the Astros’ starting rotation since 2021 and has established himself as one of the best pitchers in baseball, earning back-to-back All-Star selections in 2022 and 2023.

Last year, the 31-year-old went 15-7 with a 2.91 ERA while allowing 140 hits and registering 169 strikeouts over 176.1 innings of work.

He has consistently been a dominant force since becoming a fixture in Houston’s starting staff, twice logging ERAs below 3.00 and never even cresting a 3.50 ERA during that span.

Valdez entered the big leagues in 2018 and initially served as a hybrid, both starting and pitching out of relief. Even then, he was impressive, and he owns a lifetime ERA of 3.30.

Given Valdez’s age, though, you can understand why the Astros may not be so amenable to handing him a long-term deal. Plus, Houston just traded superstar outfielder Kyle Tucker because it didn’t think it would be able to re-sign him, so it’s not so difficult to imagine the Astros allowing Valdez to walk.

Heck, Valdez could even represent a potential midseason trade candidate if Houston falls out of contention.

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