The Detroit Tigers and free agent pitcher Framber Valdez have come to terms on a 3 year, $115M contract which is pending a physical.
The pact will reportedly contain an opt out after the second season, and locks up arguably the best left handed pitcher on the market. In signing Valdez, the team also reunites the Dominican born hurler with his former Astros manager in A.J. Hinch, which should pave the way for a smooth transition into Detroit’s rotation.
Coming off a season where he went 13-11 with a 3.66 ERA and 187 Ks across 192IP, Valdez joins what is arguably one of the strongest rotations in the Majors. The 32 year old figures to slot in behind perennial Cy Young candidate Tarik Skubal, and joins Jack Flaherty, Casey Mize, and Reese Olson. The club also features free agent addition Drew Anderson, and rookie Troy Melton as potential starters vying for a spot heading into spring training.
Originally signed for $10,000 as a 21 year old by the Astros, Valdez’s $38.3M average annual value makes him the highest paid left hander and highest paid Latino pitcher in the game. Because he turned down the Astros’ qualifying offer back in November, Houston will receive a compensatory selection in the competitive balance round B in the draft.
Armed with a devastating sinker that averages 94.3MPH, Valdez has been one of the best hurlers across professional baseball at inducing weak contact since becoming a full time starter. Since 2020, he is tied for first in the majors in wins (73), sits sixth in pitcher WAR (20.3) and first in groundball rate (62%).
According to reports, the Blue Jays, Orioles, and Pirates were all linked to Valdez over the last few weeks as potential landing spots for the veteran starter.
With the signing, Detroit’s competitive balance payroll number now sits somewhere around $237M for 2026. However, that figure could fluctuate wildly depending on what the outcome of Skubal’s arbitration case ultimately yields.
Photo: Jake Novak. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Generic license.