Framber Valdez is not happy with the way that the Houston Astros conducted business this past offseason.
The Detroit Tigers pitcher Valdez returned to Houston on Monday night for the first time as an opponent. While Valdez did not draw the start, he was in attendance with his team at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas for their game against the Astros.
Speaking with reporters before the game, Valdez called out his former team. Through an interpreter, Valdez said that the Astros never made him an offer to return in free agency,
“I would have loved for my team of 8, 9 years to want me back,” said Valdez, per Chandler Rome of The Athletic. “But it’s part of the business. I understand that. No hard feelings at all.”
The 32-year-old lefty Valdez played for the Astros from 2018-25. He was a two-time All-Star in Houston, serving at one point as the ace of their pitching staff, and was also a key member of the Astros’ 2022 World Series team.
That said, Valdez produced some unsightly incidents as well during his time in Houston, ultimately making his legacy with the Astros a complicated one. Now Valdez, who has gone 3-5 this season with a 4.40 ERA for the Tigers, is calling out his former team for essentially pushing him out the door.
