DETROIT – The Detroit Tigers have signed star left-handed pitcher Framber Valdez to a three-year, $115 million contract, per a report from ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
Valdez, 32, was the top free agent left-hander on the market this offseason. In eight seasons with the Houston Astros, he’s posted a 3.36 ERA and 1.20 WHIP while striking out 1,053 batters in 1,080.2 innings.
Passan reports that the contract includes an opt out after two seasons, should Valdez wish to hit the free agent market again.
One of the top pitchers in the big leagues over the past four seasons, Valdez was the subject of some controversy in 2025 when he appeared to purposely cross up his catcher to hit him with a pitch after the duo gave up a grand slam.
Valdez is an elite ground ball pitcher who can also miss bats at a solid rate. He has an elite whiff rate of around 40% with his curveball — his primary off-speed pitch. His most heavily used pitch is a sinker, which accounts for the high ground ball rate.
The Tigers came out of nowhere to sign Valdez, and can how boast one of the best 1-2 punches at the top of a starting rotation with Skubal and Valdez.
BREAKING: Star left-hander Framber Valdez and the Detroit Tigers are in agreement on a three-year, $115 million contract, sources tell ESPN. Valdez, 32, gets the highest AAV ever for a left-handed pitcher as well as the highest for a Latin American pitcher. Huge move for Detroit.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 5, 2026
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