With Jon Heyman of the New York Post reporting that the Yankees have checked in on LHP Framber Valdez, it leads me to wonder if this could be a potential Plan B pivot if Cody Bellinger departs.
The two sides have been at a standstill for weeks and it feels like Scott Boras could be waiting out the Kyle Tucker market to see if teams who lose out will end up challenging the Yankees’ five-year $155 million offer.
If Boras does not get that offer, which is my guess at the moment, then these two sides will likely just complete their reunion and this thought experiment becomes obsolete.
Looking at a world where Bellinger does end up leaving, this could end up being an excellent gameplan if Framber Valdez headlines their backup route.
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Why Framber Valdez Could Be the Yankees’ Perfect Backup Plan
Framber Valdez last season produced a 3.66 ERA and 3.37 FIP across 31 starts for the Astros, continuing to provide tons of innings and strong run prevention.
His underlying metrics were in-line with what we saw in each of the last six seasons despite having his worst ERA since 2019, so there’s no reason to fear that a sharp regression is right around the corner.
The left-hander throws a nasty sinker with elite movement that headlines his repertoire, but its the curveball and changeup that allow him to miss bats when he gets to two-strike scenarios.
Valdez has been worth at least 4 WAR in three of the last four seasons and has thrown at least 175 innings in that four-season stretch as well.
A duo of Max Fried and Framber Valdez would immediately form one of the top rotations in the game, and with the returns of Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon, this staff could go from good to absolutely elite.
The excess of left-handed pitchers when you factor in Ryan Weathers could be an issue, but the handedness of pitcher should not take priority over their individual talent level.
Last season the Phillies’ playoff rotation featured three lefties out of their four options as an unexpected injury to Zack Wheeler sidelined him for the season, and that staff was first in WAR (21.5) and ERA- (83).
Come playoff time, the vaunted Dodgers lineup was helpless against that array of southpaws, and despite Los Angeles’ series victory, they were pushed to the brink in many of their NLDS wins due to elite starting pitching from Philly.
Easily the biggest issue with a Framber Valdez signing is his temper; the incident that occurred with the Yankees where he threw at his catcher following a Trent Grisham grand slam was not a blip in the radar.
Valdez has been known to not hide his frustrations on the mound, some would call him a diva and I wonder if that’s part of the reason teams have stayed away from him.
Reports came out that the Orioles and Red Sox both preferred Ranger Suarez to him despite the former being on the decline velocity-wise and overall being the worse pitcher.
Aaron Judge is someone who has held some pretty controversial clubhouse guys in-check including Marcus Stroman, Josh Donaldson, and Alex Verdugo, so I have confidence that if he approved the acquisition it wouldn’t be an issue.
On a three-year deal with similar AAV to what Cody Bellinger is being offered (~$32 million), the Yankees could attach opt-outs after each season and get someone who gives them an elite pitching staff and trade chips.
Being able to move Will Warren, Elmer Rodriguez, or Luis Gil as a headliner in a trade for a bat could help fill the hole that Cody Bellinger left behind, and if it’s a solid one, the 2026 Yankees could be electric.