The Detroit Tigers bolster their rotation with a three-year, $115 million deal for ace Framber Valdez, creating a potent left-handed duo poised to chase October glory.
The Detroit Tigers have made the postseason two years in a row, and they'd like to make it three. They took a big step in doing that on Wednesday when they agreed to a three-year, $115 million deal with free agent pitcher Framber Valdez, according to a report from ESPN's Jeff Passan.
Valdez was one of the biggest prizes in the free-agent market this winter, after spending eight years with the Houston Astros. He has an 81-52 record with a 3.36 earned run average. He's had a winning record in each of his last six seasons, and has seven postseason wins as well.
Here's the story from Tigers Roundtable reporter Rogelio Castillo.
Bringing in Valdez gives the Tigers a dynamic 1-2 punch alongside Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal. Skubal and the Tigers are currently fighting through an arbitration hearing, but the plan is for him to be the Tigers' starter on Opening Day. The two sides have talked about a long-term deal, but have always been far apart.
An argument can be made that Skubal and Valdez have been the two best lefties in the American League. Skubal has been with the Tigers for six years, and he's been dominant in the last three. Since 2023, he is 38-13 and has had an ERA under 3.00 all three seasons.
Skubal asked for a record-setting salary arbitration number of $32 million and the Tigers offering $19 million. It's the largest gap in arbitration history. His hearing was heard by Jeanne Charles, Walt De Treux and Allen Ponak, with an answer expected on Thursday.