Inside The Mets

Left-handed free agent ace called fit for Mets

Should the Mets pursue this lefty starting pitcher this offseason?
Logan VanDine|
Sep 20, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez (59) delivers a. pitch during the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Sep 20, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez (59) delivers a. pitch during the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

In this story:

New York Mets

If there was one area to pinpoint the New York Mets' collapse this season, it would be their starting pitching.

After leading the major leagues in starting rotation ERA to begin the year, the Mets missed the postseason in large part due to the rotation being crippled by injuries, as well as their veteran starters failing to give New York much length. The Mets finished the 2025 season with a starting pitching ERA of 4.03 (18th in all of baseball).

With those struggles, the Mets are certainly going to be in the market this winter for a true ace, which they did not have this season for the most part. Could one of their options be this star southpaw?

In an October 16 article for FanSided, Robert Murray named left-handed starting pitcher Framber Valdez as a possible fit for the Mets.

"Valdez’s track record speaks for itself," Murray wrote. "In eight seasons with Houston, the left-hander has a 3.36 ERA in 1,080.2 innings while recording 1,053 strikeouts. In 2025, he posted a 3.66 ERA in 31 starts with 187 strikeouts. Many teams will be involved in Valdez’s free agency, though they will all surely ask about the incident where he crossed up his catcher and showed zero signs of remorse."

Read More: Emerging ace a no-brainer as Mets' best player under age 25

Valdez, who has spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Houston Astros, is slated to be a free agent for the first time in his career. And with the lefty already establishing himself as one of the league's most reliable and dominant starting pitchers, he is expected to have a lot of suitors.

The 31-year-old is coming off another excellent season for the Astros in 2025. In those 31 starts, Valdez went 13-11 with two complete games, a 3.66 ERA, 3.37 FIP, 1.24 WHIP, and 187 strikeouts across 192 innings pitched. Valdez is also a two-time All-Star, a World Series champion (2022), and tossed a no-hitter against the Cleveland Guardians on August 1, 2023.

Valdez seems to be the ace the Mets have long been waiting for. Although Kodai Senga and David Peterson both showed ace potential during the first half of the regular season, the former struggled during the last month and a half of his season after coming off the injured list, and the latter may have succumbed to fatigue during the second half.

If the Mets want to get serious about getting back to the playoffs after missing it for the seventh time in nine years, signing an established ace like Valdez would make their rotation a whole lot better.

Recommended Articles:

Published
Logan VanDine
LOGAN VANDINE

Logan VanDine is a contributing writer for On SI's Mets. Logan is a graduate of Rider University where he majored in Sports Media and minored in Sports Studies. During his time at Rider, Logan worked for Rider's radio station, 107.7 The Bronc as a sports host, producer and broadcaster, and for the school's paper: The Rider News. He began his time with The Rider News as a section writer for sports and was a copy editor for two years followed by being one of the sports editors during his senior year. Logan also placed third in the New Jersey Press Foundation Awards for sports feature writing. Aside from his work at On SI, he is also a writer for FanSided covering the New York Giants and Mets and also covers the Giants for Total Apex Sports. Give him a follow on X: @VandineLogan

Home/News