The Detroit Tigers made a big move for their starting rotation this offseason by signing Framber Valdez. Valdez is one of the best left-handed pitchers in the game and would be an ace for most teams around the league. With Detroit, he will instantly become one of baseball's best No. 2 starters as reigning American League Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal leads the way. Tigers manager AJ Hinch recently commented on the Tigers' Valdez free agency signing, via MLB Network Radio.
“We started talking about him early in the offseason and just not knowing how the offseason was gonna go, not knowing how the markets were gonna go, not knowing if it fit with the player. When the player is a free agent, he has a choice,” Hinch said. “You gotta be the choice. You gotta be an environment that he wants to come to.”
The Tigers are certainly happy to have Valdez on the roster. The 32-year-old pitched to a 3.66 ERA across 31 outings in 2025. Overall, he is a two-time All-Star and one-time World Series champion.
“When it all started to come together towards the latter part of the offseason, I was pretty excited,” Hinch continued. “I got a little bit eager to put a rotation together with him and (other Tigers starters)… So for us, adding him to this team, I think really makes us a formidable team.”
The Tigers expect to compete for an American League Central division title in 2026. However, the Kansas City Royals have improved their roster and the Cleveland Guardians can never be counted out.
