Left-hander Framber Valdez, the top remaining free-agent starter, has agreed to a three-year, $115 million contract with the Detroit Tigers, pending a physical. The deal includes an opt-out after the 2027 season and enhances Detroit's rotation alongside Tarik Skubal. Valdez brings a proven track record from eight seasons with the Houston Astros.
The Detroit Tigers are bolstering their pitching staff by adding Framber Valdez, a two-time All-Star and 2022 World Series champion with the Astros. Sources including ESPN, The Athletic, and MLB.com reported the agreement on Wednesday, just days before spring training. The contract is worth $115 million over three years, with an opt-out clause after the second season and deferrals included. The Tigers have not officially announced the signing, which remains pending a physical.
Valdez, who turned 32 on November 19, rejected Houston's qualifying offer of $22.025 million earlier this offseason. As a result, the Tigers will forfeit a 2026 draft pick, while the Astros receive a compensatory pick after the fourth round. Valdez debuted with Houston in 2018 under manager A.J. Hinch, who now leads the Tigers, and spent his first eight MLB seasons there.
Since 2020, Valdez has compiled a 3.23 ERA over 973 innings, ranking eighth in ERA+ (128) among pitchers with at least 100 starts. He led the AL with 201 1/3 innings in 2022, finishing fifth in Cy Young voting with a 2.82 ERA. In 2025, he made 30 starts with a 3.66 ERA, 187 strikeouts, and 192 innings, while inducing ground balls on over 60% of balls in play since 2021—the highest rate among starters.
The addition pairs Valdez with back-to-back AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal, forming a strong 1-2 punch. Detroit's rotation also features Casey Mize (14-6, 3.87 ERA in 2025), Jack Flaherty, and Reese Olson, with Drew Anderson returning after a 2.25 ERA in 30 starts in Korea last year. The Tigers, who reached the ALDS in each of the past two seasons but lost in five games both times, signed relievers Kenley Jansen and Kyle Finnegan this offseason. Coming off a 2025 campaign where they blew a 14-game lead but advanced via the Wild Card, Detroit enters 2026 as AL Central favorites at +125 odds.
