Framber Valdez, the two-time All-Star and World Series-winning left-hander and the last elite arm on the free agent market, agreed to a startling three-year, $115 million contract with the Detroit Tigers, ESPN reported Feb. 4, creating a potent punch atop the rotation for the 2026 season.
Valdez will team with two-time reigning Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal in Motown for, likely, one season only. Skubal becomes a free agent after this season and spent his Wednesday in an arbitration hearing with the Tigers; he's seeking $32 million while the Tigers countered at $19 million, with a decision due later this week.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIn the meantime, Detroit was hammering out an agreement with, potentially, Skubal's less-decorated successor. And Valdez ended up signing for the highest average annual value − $38.3 million − given to a left-handed free agent.
Valdez, 32, has been among the more durable pitchers in the major leagues since seizing a full-time spot in the Houston Astros’ rotation in 2021. His best campaign came in 2022, when he pitched a career-best 201⅓ innings with a 2.82 ERA and three complete games, and posted three dominant playoff outings in winning Game 2 starts in both the ALCS and World Series, and the decisive Game 6 against the Philadelphia Phillies to nail down the Astros’ championship.
$765,000,000: Juan Soto, New York Mets (2025-39)
$700,000,000: Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers (2024-33)
$500,000,000: Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., Toronto Blue Jays (2026-39)
$426.5 million: Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels (2019-2030)* includes extension
$365 million: Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Dodgers (2020-32)
$360 million: Aaron Judge, New York Yankees (2023-2031)
$350 million: Manny Machado, San Diego Padres (2023-33)
$341 million: Francisco Lindor, New York Mets (2022-31)
$340 million: Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego Padres (2021-34)
$330,000,000: Bryce Harper, Philadelphia Phillies (2019-31)
$325 million: Giancarlo Stanton, Miami Marlins (2015-2027) – traded to New York Yankees in 2017
$325 million: Corey Seager, Texas Rangers (2022-31)
$325,000,000: Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Los Angeles Dodgers (2024-35)
$313.5 million: Rafael Devers, Boston Red Sox (2024-33) - traded to San Francisco Giants in 2025
$300 million: Trea Turner, Philadelphia Phillies (2023-33)
$292 million: Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers (2014-2023)* includes extension
$288,777,777: Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals (2024-34)
$280 million: Xander Bogaerts, San Diego Padres (2023-33)
$275 million: Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees (2008-2017)
$260 million: Nolan Arenado, Colorado Rockies (2019-26) - traded to St. Louis Cardinals in 2021, traded to Arizona Diamondbacks in 2026
$252,000,000: Alex Rodriguez, Texas Rangers (2001-10)
$245 million: Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals (2020-26)
$245 million: Anthony Rendon, Los Angeles Angels (2020-26)
$240,000,000: Kyle Tucker, Los Angeles Dodgers (2026-29)
$240 million: Albert Pujols, Los Angeles Angels (2012-2021)
$240 million: Robinson Cano, Seattle Mariners (2014-2023) – traded to New York Mets in 2019
$225 million: Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds (2012-2021)
$218,000,000: Max Fried, New York Yankees (2025-32)
$217 million: David Price, Boston Red Sox (2016-2022) – traded to Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020
$215 million: Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers (2014-2020)
$215 million: Christian Yelich, Milwaukee Brewers (2020-28)
$214 million: Prince Fielder, Detroit Tigers (2012-2020) – traded to Texas Rangers in 2013
$212 million: Austin Riley, Atlanta Braves (2023-32)
$210 million: Corbin Burnes, Arizona Diamondbacks (2025-30)
$210 million: Max Scherzer, Washington Nationals (2015-2021)
$209.3 million: Julio Rodriguez, Seattle Mariners (2023-34)
$206.5 million: Zack Greinke, Arizona Diamondbacks (2016-2021) – traded to Houston Astros in 2019
$202,000,000: CC Sabathia, New York Yankees (2009-17)
$200 million: Carlos Correa, Minnesota Twins (2023-28) - traded to Houston Astros in 2025
1 / 39MLB's $200+ million contracts
$765,000,000: Juan Soto, New York Mets (2025-39)
1 / 39MLB's $200+ million contracts
$765,000,000: Juan Soto, New York Mets (2025-39)
2 / 39MLB's $200+ million contracts
$700,000,000: Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers (2024-33)
3 / 39MLB's $200+ million contracts
$500,000,000: Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., Toronto Blue Jays (2026-39)
4 / 39MLB's $200+ million contracts
$426.5 million: Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels (2019-2030)* includes extension
5 / 39MLB's $200+ million contracts
$365 million: Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Dodgers (2020-32)
6 / 39MLB's $200+ million contracts
$360 million: Aaron Judge, New York Yankees (2023-2031)
7 / 39MLB's $200+ million contracts
$350 million: Manny Machado, San Diego Padres (2023-33)
8 / 39MLB's $200+ million contracts
$341 million: Francisco Lindor, New York Mets (2022-31)
9 / 39MLB's $200+ million contracts
$340 million: Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego Padres (2021-34)
10 / 39MLB's $200+ million contracts
$330,000,000: Bryce Harper, Philadelphia Phillies (2019-31)
11 / 39MLB's $200+ million contracts
$325 million: Giancarlo Stanton, Miami Marlins (2015-2027) – traded to New York Yankees in 2017
12 / 39MLB's $200+ million contracts
$325 million: Corey Seager, Texas Rangers (2022-31)
13 / 39MLB's $200+ million contracts
$325,000,000: Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Los Angeles Dodgers (2024-35)
14 / 39MLB's $200+ million contracts
$313.5 million: Rafael Devers, Boston Red Sox (2024-33) - traded to San Francisco Giants in 2025
15 / 39MLB's $200+ million contracts
$300 million: Trea Turner, Philadelphia Phillies (2023-33)
16 / 39MLB's $200+ million contracts
$292 million: Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers (2014-2023)* includes extension
17 / 39MLB's $200+ million contracts
$288,777,777: Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals (2024-34)
18 / 39MLB's $200+ million contracts
$280 million: Xander Bogaerts, San Diego Padres (2023-33)
19 / 39MLB's $200+ million contracts
$275 million: Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees (2008-2017)
20 / 39MLB's $200+ million contracts
$260 million: Nolan Arenado, Colorado Rockies (2019-26) - traded to St. Louis Cardinals in 2021, traded to Arizona Diamondbacks in 2026
21 / 39MLB's $200+ million contracts
$252,000,000: Alex Rodriguez, Texas Rangers (2001-10)
22 / 39MLB's $200+ million contracts
$245 million: Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals (2020-26)
23 / 39MLB's $200+ million contracts
$245 million: Anthony Rendon, Los Angeles Angels (2020-26)
24 / 39MLB's $200+ million contracts
$240,000,000: Kyle Tucker, Los Angeles Dodgers (2026-29)
25 / 39MLB's $200+ million contracts
$240 million: Albert Pujols, Los Angeles Angels (2012-2021)
26 / 39MLB's $200+ million contracts
$240 million: Robinson Cano, Seattle Mariners (2014-2023) – traded to New York Mets in 2019
27 / 39MLB's $200+ million contracts
$225 million: Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds (2012-2021)
28 / 39MLB's $200+ million contracts
$218,000,000: Max Fried, New York Yankees (2025-32)29 / 39MLB's $200+ million contracts
$217 million: David Price, Boston Red Sox (2016-2022) – traded to Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020
30 / 39MLB's $200+ million contracts
$215 million: Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers (2014-2020)
31 / 39MLB's $200+ million contracts
$215 million: Christian Yelich, Milwaukee Brewers (2020-28)
32 / 39MLB's $200+ million contracts
$214 million: Prince Fielder, Detroit Tigers (2012-2020) – traded to Texas Rangers in 2013
33 / 39MLB's $200+ million contracts
$212 million: Austin Riley, Atlanta Braves (2023-32)
34 / 39MLB's $200+ million contracts
$210 million: Corbin Burnes, Arizona Diamondbacks (2025-30)
35 / 39MLB's $200+ million contracts
$210 million: Max Scherzer, Washington Nationals (2015-2021)
36 / 39MLB's $200+ million contracts
$209.3 million: Julio Rodriguez, Seattle Mariners (2023-34)
37 / 39MLB's $200+ million contracts
$206.5 million: Zack Greinke, Arizona Diamondbacks (2016-2021) – traded to Houston Astros in 2019
38 / 39MLB's $200+ million contracts
$202,000,000: CC Sabathia, New York Yankees (2009-17)39 / 39MLB's $200+ million contracts
$200 million: Carlos Correa, Minnesota Twins (2023-28) - traded to Houston Astros in 2025
He becomes the latest high-profile, big-money free agent to depart the Astros in recent years, joining George Springer, Carlos Correa and Alex Bregman. Correa eventually returned to the Astros in a trade last summer, while the Astros traded slugger Kyle Tucker one year before he, too, would have likely walked as a free agent.
In Valdez’s final season in Houston, the Astros’ streak of qualifying for the playoffs ended at eight, as Valdez struck out 187 batters in 192 innings. He was embroiled in a mild controversy when he turned his back after his pitch struck Astros catcher César Salazar in the chest.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementValdez and Salazar were clearly crossed up on which pitch was coming, but Valdez’s remorseless reaction and the fact it came two pitches after Trent Grisham hit a grand slam off the lefty sparked questions that Valdez intentionally deceived Salazar.
The players met with manager Joe Espada after the game and Valdez insisted the cross-up wasn’t intentional. Valdez earned All-Star berths in 2022 and 2023, and three times has finished in the top 10 in AL Cy Young Award voting.
His signing will disappoint a handful of potential suitors, most notably the Baltimore Orioles, who lurked as a potential favorite as the winter dragged on and Valdez remained unsigned. Instead, Valdez will form a stout rotation in Detroit with Skubal, Jack Flaherty and 2025 All-Star Casey Mize.
Even if just for one season.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Framber Valdez contract with Tigers: What we know and what it means
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