Astros Ace Framber Valdez's Top 10 Landing Spots amid MLB Trade Rumors | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

2023 Starting Pitching WAR: 13.6 (4th)

2024 Projected Rotation: RHP Zack Wheeler, RHP Aaron Nola, LHP Ranger Suárez, RHP Taijuan Walker, LHP Cristopher Sánchez

Speaking of the Phillies, they're not done shopping for pitching even after re-upping with Nola on a seven-year, $175 million contract.

The Phillies are in on Yamamoto, and not in a just-doing-homework kind of way. Alex Coffey of the Philadelphia Inquirer says they plan to be "aggressive" in their pursuit, for which they've already involved Bryce Harper:

Jon Morosi @jonmorosi

As we reported on <a href="">@MLBNetwork</a> this morning: <br><br>Bryce Harper, 2-time NL MVP, spoke with Yoshinobu Yamamoto over FaceTime as part of the Phillies' presentation to him. <a href="">@MLB</a>

Assuming it's not Yamamoto or bust for the Phillies, Valdez will be an option if they miss out. Their infield defense, which posted 13 Outs Above Average in 2023, is plenty good enough for him, and he'd otherwise make an intimidating trio with Nola and Zack Wheeler.

Trade Proposal: Philadelphia Phillies get LHP Framber Valdez; Houston Astros get LHP Cristopher Sánchez, RHP Mick Abel

Like with Atlanta, there's perhaps a question of whether the Astros and Phillies would be willing to deal with one another. They met in the 2022 World Series, after all, and it would surprise nobody if they met again in 2024.

For what it's worth, though, the Astros could probably do a better deal with the Phillies. In this one, they'd get a talented lefty in Sánchez and the Phillies' No. 2 prospect in Abel, who Reuter also rated as MLB's No. 23 overall prospect back in September.