Some rough news yesterday out of Astros camp as they announced that Framber Valdez suffered a fractured left ring finger during the game on Tuesday against the Mets. There is no timetable as to how long he will be out, but it is fair to guess that the time missed will be significant given that once he is cleared to return to the mound, he basically has to go through a spring training again because his ended after just one start. This is going to test the Astros young arms as they have lost their workhorse from a year ago.
Where the Astros go from here to fill his void will be interesting. This club did not go outside of the organization in the winter to add starting pitching depth and it is still unlikely that they will do that help ease the burden of not having Framber for an extended period of time. They are very high on the pitching depth they have in the organization and I think they will feel comfortable with rolling with it.
Money plays a factor in this as well, while I would absolutely go out and look for a veteran arm, they are projected to be somewhere between 12-14 million dollars below the luxury tax threshold. I have no doubt that they would go over the number if James Click really wanted someone, but you would probably keep yourself under that number as long as you can into the season as you look to add ahead of the trade deadline.
If the Astros are looking outside of the organization to add some depth, the most obvious name that fits here is Jake Odorizzi, who is still sitting out there. The issue with Odorizzi is that he is still looking for a multi-year deal for big money and he is coming off a 2020 that saw him get hurt and not pitch well in his beyond tiny workload. Despite some of the reasons you would stay away, adding another veteran innings eater might actually be the smart play for this team. It is worth noting that Odorizzi also has a history with James Click, going back to their days in Tampa Bay.
As we sit here today, I would bet against the Astros signing Odorizzi, but it would be shocking to me if they have not at least lobbed a phone call. If you are hoping the club does sign him, it might be best to root for him to sit out there longer and possibly force him into taking a one year deal in hopes of resetting his market next winter.
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