Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez was thrust into the spotlight thanks to a bizarre exchange he had with catcher César Salazar during the club's 7–1 loss to the Yankees on Tuesday night. Valdez, facing Yankees outfielder Trent Grisham in the top of the fifth inning, was on the mound preparing to deliver a pitch when Salazar waved his hand, seemingly gesturing for the Astros southpaw to step off the mound in order to sort out an apparent difference in pitch preference. But Valdez delivered the offering anyway, a 95-mph sinker that Grisham drove over the left field fence for a grand slam.
A miscommunciation between the two again popped up on the next at-bat, as Salazar set up inside for what he thought was an off-speed pitch, but what actually ended up being a 92-mph sinker that the Astros catcher took right to the chest protector. There was some speculation on social media that ther cross-up between Valdez and his catcher was intentional—in other words, that the left-hander hit Salazar on purpose.
Valdez's agent Ulises Cabrera, citing the lefty's skill on the mound and standing in the hierarchy of Houston's pitching staff, vehemently denied that allegation while speaking to The Houston Chronicle on Wednesday.
"The idea that he’s intentionally trying to injure one of his teammates is preposterous," Cabrera said. "It’s a complete lack of respect for who he is as a person and who he is as a player. And his body of work demonstrates that. Anything to the contrary is just completely misguided and it’s not right."
It's not particularly surprising that Valdez's agent would come to the pitcher's defense in such a strong manner, given that the free-agent-to-be, who ranks among MLB's top 25 starters in ERA, innings pitched and quality starts, is in line for a hefty pay day this winter. It's Cabrera's job to make sure that the only conversation surrounding Valdez is about how well he's pitching—and not moments like what occurred Tuesday night.
To that end, both Valdez and Salazar, each of whom reportedly spoke with Astros manager Joe Espada after Tuesday night's game, denied there was any intent in the cross-up on the pitcher's part.
"What happened with us, we just got crossed up," Valdez said in Spanish through an interpreter after the game. "I called for that pitch, I threw it and we got crossed up. We went down to the dugout and I excused myself with him and I said sorry to him and I take full responsibility for that."
Salazar, citing crowd noise, said he had pressed the wrong button on PitchCom and was expecting a different pitch than the one he received.
The Astros will hope that any miscommunications have been sorted out, as the club is clinging to a three-game lead over the Mariners in the American League West and clearly has bigger fish to fry.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Framber Valdez's Agent Slams Notion He Intentionally Hit Astros Catcher With Pitch.
