Breaking News: The Detroit Tigers Signed Framber Valdez To 3-Year Deal

As the spring training rosters were announced this afternoon, the Tigers decided to shock and surprise everyone out of their Wednesday evening routine.

According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the Detroit Tigers have agreed to terms with former Houston Astros left-hander Framber Valdez on a three-year, $115 million deal that includes a player opt-out after the second season. Valdez, long viewed as one of the top remaining arms on the free-agent market and a dark-horse fit for Detroit, brings exactly the kind of durability and profile the Tigers have been seeking in a second ace next to Tarik Skubal.

Valdez has consistently hovered in the mid-3.00s ERA while ranking among MLB’s leaders in ground-ball rate and innings pitched, offering heavy contact management and true five-innings-plus innings eating ability, traits Detroit lacked in the second half of 2025.

From an organizational perspective, this is as much an asset conversion as it is a pitching upgrade. Because Valdez received a qualifying offer from Houston before free agency, the Astros will receive a compensation pick after the conclusion of Round 4 in the 2026 draft if he signs elsewhere, and the Tigers will forfeit their third-highest draft choice (No. 69 overall) as a result of signing him.

While losing a draft pick does not seem like a Scott Harris move, to gain a pitcher like Valdez is a clear indicator that Detroit’s front office is prioritizing the immediate competitive window over future positional depth.

Strategically, adding Valdez does more than just fill a 1–2 hole: it balances a rotation that skewed right-handed beyond Skubal and stabilizes Detroit against injuries and arbitration uncertainty. Valdez’s ground-ball profile is particularly valuable for a team that hopes to improve its defensive execution, as his success is tied to consistent infield performance; Detroit’s defense has been middling behind its rotation, an area scouts flagged as a potential concern in fit evaluations.

However, when paired with Skubal and the rest of the staff, Valdez’s presence elevates the overall rotation from “good” to top-tier in the American League Central and gives Detroit the kind of frontline depth it will lean on in a postseason push.