This Young Starter Key to Replacing Framer Valdez in Astros Starting Rotation

With Framber Valdez gone in free agency, the Houston Astros need contributions behind Hunter Brown in the starting rotation.

Houston Astros pitcher Framber Valdez | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros have long been established as one of the leaders in MLB in developing young pitchers into high quality Major League contributors.

Now, longtime ace Framber Valdez is gone to the Detroit Tigers, signing a historic contract even after general manager Dana Brown left the door cracked for his return to the club recently.

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The wave of pitching development that brought Valdez to relevance and then stardom during his tenure in Houston will have to strike again, as the Astros badly need someone to emerge as another high-level option in their starting rotation behind Hunter Brown.

The arrival of Tatsuma Iyai from Japan and the potential he brings to the pitching staff is exciting, and Cristian Javier is certainly capable of performing like a high-end No. 2 if he stays healthy, but there's not much certainty baked into the pie after Brown.

Spencer Arrighetti Is an X-Factor in Astros 2026 Starting Rotation

Spencer Arrighetti | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

If Javier and Iyai are not able to provide the impact Valdez brought in 2025, Houston fans could look to right-hander Spencer Arrighetti as one of the options with both the talent and opportunity to reach that level.

Arrighetti made just seven starts in 2025 after he broke his right thumb in early April and did not return to action until August. He was excellent in his first start of the year, but the results were mixed after he came back. Arrighetti finished the season with a 5.35 ERA and 31 strikeouts over 35.1 innings of work.

It was a campaign that was supposed to be a massive step forward for Arrighetti, but the injury dictated that his breakout would have to come in 2026. That would certainly be music to Astros' fans ears, as they are well accustomed to starting pitchers finding new gears to replace departed stars.

Just as Valdez stepped up after Gerrit Cole left for the New York Yankees, Arrighetti could elevate his game to offset the departure of Valdez. His rookie campaign in 2024 suggests it's a possibility. While his 4.53 ERA that season was nothing overly eye-popping, the 171 strikeouts he racked up in just 145 innings suggests he has top-of-the-line ability to retire batters without the ball going into play.

Arrighetti does that with elite extension that enhances his curveball and allows him to fool batters. According to Baseball Savant, he ranked in the 96th percentile among all MLB pitchers in extension. His average fastball velocity ticked down from 94.1 in 2024 to 93.0 in 2025, but if that was a result of the injury and can be fixed in 2026, look for Arrighetti to slot into the Houston rotation as an effective pitcher.