Twins owner greenlit a big splash for Framber Valdez, revealing the club's aggressive pursuit of the talented left-hander before he joined the Tigers.
Twins Confirm They Pursued Framber Valdez With Multi-Year Offer
The Minnesota Twins confirmed this week that they pursued left-hander Framber Valdez with a multi-year contract offer before he ultimately signed with the Detroit Tigers.
According to reporting from Dan Hayes of The Athletic, Twins owner Tom Pohlad gave general manager Jeremy Zoll approval to pursue Valdez aggressively. Pohlad said it would have been “fun to make a splash” and show the organization’s commitment.
Valdez instead landed in Detroit.
It is not uncommon for teams to miss out on free agents. Negotiations happen behind the scenes every offseason, and most pursuits never become public. What stands out in this case is the level of detail shared afterward — ownership approval, the structure of the offer, and public commentary about intent.
For Detroit, the takeaway is simple: Valdez had legitimate interest within the division. The Tigers secured a pitcher who was not only in demand, but one who drew a multi-year offer from a direct competitor.
There is no indication the Twins were unwilling to compete financially. By their own account, they were. The outcome simply favored Detroit.
In a division that has often been defined by conservative spending, this situation underscores that multiple teams were active in the market for high-impact pitching.
It’s also worth noting that Minnesota’s broader offseason activity helps frame this situation. Outside of their reported pursuit of Framber Valdez, the Twins’ free-agent additions were relatively modest. The bulk of their signings consisted of one-year deals and minor league contracts, primarily focused on bullpen depth and complementary pieces rather than frontline impact.
Veterans such as Andrew Chafin, Liam Hendriks, Matt Bowman and others were brought in on minor league agreements, while players like Taylor Rogers and Victor Caratini signed shorter-term major league deals. None of the additions projected as major rotation anchors, and several carry modest WAR projections.
That context makes the Valdez pursuit stand out even more. By Minnesota’s own acknowledgment, they were willing to stretch for a top-of-the-rotation arm. However, the rest of their offseason reflected a more measured approach — building depth, preserving flexibility and avoiding long-term commitments.
In that light, the reported multi-year offer to Valdez reads less like a continuation of an aggressive winter and more like a targeted attempt to add one significant piece. When it didn’t materialize, the Twins’ offseason largely remained built around incremental moves rather than transformational ones.
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