Astros have all but said goodbye to a longtime Mariners menace

You never needed a scouting report for Framber Valdez. You just needed to see his name next to “Probable starter” and accept that runs were likely going to be a scarce resource.

The sinker, the ground balls, the slow-moving dread of a night where every hard-hit ball somehow found leather. Even when Seattle was rolling, he had a way of making games feel like you were trying to win a coin-flip.

Which is why Dana Brown talking about him like he’s already packed up the apartment keys is… honestly? A beautiful sound.

Mariners’ long-running headache could vanish as Astros plan life after Valdez

In an MLB Network segment centered on Houston’s signing of Japanese right-hander Tatsuya Imai, Brown was asked about Valdez and gave an answer that was basically the front-office version of “we wish him well on his future endeavors.” He acknowledged Valdez is “still out there,” but then pivoted hard into how Houston had to add pitching because they’re likely losing those innings. He specifically pointed to adding Imai, trading for Mike Burrows, and signing Ryan Weiss as the club’s way of bracing for life without their ace. 

And from a Mariners perspective, that’s a holiday. Valdez has made 19 career appearances against Seattle with a 3.50 ERA (plus a mountain of innings that felt longer than they were).  He was also part of the Astros’ 2022 ALDS punch to the gut, starting Game 2 in Houston as the series slipped further away. 

The idea that the Astros are openly preparing for a post-Valdez rotation is the kind of “good news for the division” that Mariners fans can appreciate without overthinking it.

Now, let’s say the Astros lose Valdez and he doesn’t just leave Houston — he leaves the AL West entirely. That’s where Mariners fans get to start smiling like someone just removed a pebble from their shoe that they’d been pretending didn’t exist for years.

Because the division is annoying enough without also having to plan around the same lefty who can erase your lineup. If Valdez winds up in another division (or, even better, another league), Seattle gets some well deserved peace. 

And sure, the Astros are banking on Imai and Burrows (and whoever else wins the depth battle) to cover the loss. But neither has proven they can walk in and control a series the way Valdez has for years. 

So if Houston really has all but said goodbye? The Mariners should be the first ones to hold the door open.