"Clubhouse cancer"; "Worst type of teammate" - Fans dread seeing Astros ace Framber Valdez on their favorite teams amid his appearance at GM meetings

All-Star lefty Framber Valdez might be on his way out of the Houston Astros as he tries the free-agency market this offseason. After calling Houston home since he made his MLB debut in 2018, the Dominican star has left a lasting impression at the club, establishing himself as one of the franchise's best pitchers.

Valdez carries an eight-year resume that's comprised of a World Series title, two All-Star nods, and an All-MLB first-team selection as he seeks the best contract suited for him. Upon hearing the news from MLB insider Jon Heyman that Valdez was present at the winter meetings, fans from different fanbases expressed scathing opinions about the lefty ace.

Nick Grieve

@Nick_Grieve

Clubhouse cancer

Dave

@Donewithmorons_

He’s also the worst type of teammate.

j☀️

@my_good_karma

He also leads the league in purposely firing a fastball at an unsuspecting catcher.

Robert Anthony

@RobertAnthony_T

He threw a ball at his catcher bc he sucked.

While in normal circumstances, a pitcher of Valdez's caliber being rumored to land on a club would be celebrated, several fans expressed their dismay over the pitcher's attitude.

During a Sept. 2 game between the Astros and New York Yankees, Valdez drew flak for allegedly intentionally hitting his backstop, Cesar Salazar, with an unsuspecting pitch.

This stemmed from miscommunication just moments before that gave Trent Grisham an easy grand slam after Salazar asked Valdez to step off the rubber, with the hurler suddenly tossing a predictable pitch. Valdez then torched Salazar with a sinker that the catcher wasn't prepared to take, hitting him square in the chest. This further fanned the flames on social media regarding the lefty's short fuse and approach to the game.

Brian

@bRedRep

Yeah, but he’s a nut case.

BourbonSt.SportsBar

@BourbonStKatyTX

All-time leader in meltdowns too! Dude is not right in the head.

Edward Ayala

@E_AyalaJr

Valdez has anger management issues and is a cancer with his bad attitude. No team needs that headache no matter how good he is.

Nevertheless, Valdez has compiled an 18.9 fWAR to go along with an 81-52 record and 3.36 ERA during his time in Houston. If a team can look beyond his past issues and his numbers hold up, he will certainly be a borderline ace for any squad that will be able to snag him from the market.

Astros cut members of 2022 World Series-winning squad

On Thursday, the Astros announced that they were parting ways with a plethora of players, including two members of the 2022 World Series-conquering squad.

The team shared that it was letting go of Luis Garcia, Chas McCormick, Kenedy Corona and John Rooney to outright waivers, meaning that they're all cleared to be free agents ahead of 2026.

Garcia made his debut in 2022 when the Astros won the title and has been a stable presence on the mound when healthy. However, he missed a majority of the 2023 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery that extended into 2024, as the pitcher made only two rehab appearances for minor league affiliates. He only made two starts this year before being placed on the 60-day IR on Sept. 12.

McCormick, meanwhile, has been an Astros career man since he made his debut in 2021. Although his statistics are beyond standard, he's established a reputation as a reliable defensive presence and a spitfire on offense in the postseason.