On Wednesday, the Detroit Tigers and starting pitcher Framber Valdez reportedly agreed to a three-year contract worth $115 million in free agency, per Jeff Passan of ESPN. According to Jesse Rogers of ESPN, multiple other teams had interest in Valdez, including the Minnesota Twins. Additionally, the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays were linked to the left-handed starter.

The Orioles had been linked to Valdez throughout the offseason. The Blue Jays, who are fresh off a World Series appearance, were mentioned as possible suitors for a number of players in free agency. However, the Twins’ interest may come as a surprise for some.

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Minnesota had a difficult 2025 season. While the Twins decided against trading their stars away this offseason, that did not lead many to believe that they would be aggressive in free agency. For the most part they have not. Sure, Minnesota signed Josh Bell and Victor Caratini, but the ball club was not among the favorites to sign Valdez.

In the end, Minnesota did not sign him. Instead, Valdez is set to join one of their rivals in the American League Central. The Tigers now have two of the best starting pitchers in baseball in Tarik Skubal and Framber Valdez.

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Valdez, 32, pitched to a 3.66 ERA across 31 starts during the 2025 campaign with the Houston Astros. The southpaw added 187 strikeouts in his 192 innings on the mound. While he has had better years in the past, Valdez enjoyed a strong overall campaign.

In all reality, Valdez has been one of the most consistent pitchers in baseball since he made his debut in 2018. He’s only had one season in which he finished with an ERA above 4.00. For his career, he holds a 3.66 ERA.

The Tigers are likely going to be the favorites in the American League Central with the Framber Valdez addition. Teams such as the Cleveland Guardians and Kansas City Royals may also compete as well. Meanwhile, the Twins are entering a year of uncertainty. A slow start could lead to the beginning of a rebuild at the MLB trade deadline.

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With that being said, perhaps the Twins will surprise the MLB world and make a competitive run. Anything is possible, but missing out on signing Framber Valdez — and losing him to a division rival — is a difficult blow without question.