Is Framber Valdez to New York a real possibility? The Mets and Orioles are among the favorites to land Valdez, according to multiple sources. Valdez, 32, logged 192 innings last season, posting a 3.66 ERA with 187 strikeouts. However, he struggled after the All-Star break, recording a 4.70 ERA over his final 16 starts. Even so, there’s no denying he remains one of the league’s premier workhorses and a pitcher capable of anchoring the top of a rotation. A major component of his success is his elite ground-ball rate, which continues to be one of the strongest in baseball, only trailing Giants ace Logan Webb in total ground balls and ground-ball outs Given how this season unfolded, the Mets are surely going to need a bona fide ace, someone capable of throwing close to 200 innings. Some teams may waive the red flag pertaining to Valdez’s on-field antics that occurred between him and catcher Cesar Salazar in 2025. Valdez denied intentionally hitting his catcher and said the incident was...