The biggest move that the Houston Astros made this offseason other than the massive Josh Hader signing was extending Jose Altuve to a five-year deal. That contract will likely keep Altuve, the face of the Astros franchise, in Houston for the rest of his career, making him an Astros player only, barring a trade.

Altuve is the first of many players Dana Brown will hope to keep around for a long time. The Astros have one of, if not the best core in the majors that has led them to seven straight ALCS appearances and two World Series titles, but several of their key contributors are approaching free agency.

The biggest names nearing free agency are Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman. Those are two players that the Astros would love to have extended, but they’ll both be very costly. There are three other players Houston should look to extend who will also come at a much cheaper price.

Framber Valdez has quietly established himself as one of the best pitchers in the American League, making the All-Star team and finishing in the top 10 in AL Cy Young voting in each of the last two seasons. Valdez is already 30 years old and won’t hit free agency until after the 2025 season, so it shouldn’t cost much at all to keep him around.

He might not be as overpowering as most frontline starters but the southpaw is very durable, making 31 starts in each of the last two seasons, and consistently going deep into games. With Justin Verlander towards the end of his career, Valdez can be Houston’s ace for the long haul if they extend him.