Cardinals Unexpectedly Linked To Astros Ace Framber Valdez

The St. Louis Cardinals certainly shouldn't be considered likely for a move like this...

Sep 7, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez (59) looks down as he walks off the field during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Houston Astros at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The offseason is here for every team in Major League Baseball, aside from the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays.

The World Series will begin on Friday and soon enough, every team will be preparing for the 2026 season. The St. Louis Cardinals have gotten a head start on the offseason with Chaim Bloom taking over, but it’s too early to know what his strategy will be. The only things that are clear are that the Cardinals will consider trades involving veterans and Bloom said the team will be looking for pitching.

We're at a point in the year in which chatter about who could be on the move and where really starts to pick up, and most of the time the moves never happen. For example, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand made a surprising — and unlikely — suggestion and floated the Cardinals among the top potential fits for Houston Astros ace Framber Valdez.

"No. 9) Framber Valdez, LHP, Astros (age 32)," Feinsand said. "Valdez was on track to be the top starting pitcher in this year’s free-agent class, going 11-4 with a 2.62 ERA through his first 21 starts and striking out 141 batters over 134 innings.

This doesn't sound like for the Cardinals

Sep 20, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez (59) reacts after a play during the fourth inning against the Seattle Mariners at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

"A lackluster finish to his season -- he was 2-7 with a 6.05 ERA over his final 10 starts -- and a highly publicized cross-up incident in which he (intentionally?) hit his catcher in the chest with a fastball following a home run have raised some questions, but his track record as a workhorse should put him in good position to land a healthy deal. Potential fits: Astros, Blue Jays, Cardinals."

Landing a hurler like Valdez would surely help to turn around the organization and expedite any sort of rebuild. But, his projected market value is north of $199 million over six years, per Spotrac. That's likely too high for a Cardinals team that already doesn't hand out massive contracts and has an uncertain future for the 2026 season anyway. Right now, the largest contract given out by the Cardinals in free agency is a $120 million deal across seven seasons to Matt Holliday back in 2010. Sure, that was a while ago, so you'd think a bigger contract could work. But, a 31-year-old lefty who will surely have competition in free agency? Definitely not.

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