Framber Valdez signed a three-year, $115 million contract with the Detroit Tigers this offseason, becoming a co-ace for the club's rotation. Before he chose Detroit, rumors were suggesting the Pittsburgh Pirates were interested in potentially signing Valdez. On Thursday, one MLB Insider believes those rumors were utterly false.

During a guest appearance on “Foul Territory,” Bob Nightengale of USA Today was asked how close the Pirates were to possibly landing the 32-year-old starting pitcher. Nightengale doesn't believe Pittsburgh was ever close to a deal, and says that the rumored interest was more of a PR move.

“It's almost like the Tigers went under the radar [to get Valdez],” said Nightengale. “It seems like if you really want a guy, you don't publicize it… [The Pirates] want to tell everybody, ‘Hey, we tried. We missed out. We got this money.' But they don't do anything with it. I talked to a couple [general managers] the other day, and they said, ‘How about the Pirates?' And I say, ‘The Pirates always talk about it, but they don't do it.' … So, I think it was just more of a PR type thing.”

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Former MLB player AJ Pierzynski called out the Pirates when rumors were buzzing that the club was interested in Framber Valdez. Pierzynski essentially told Pittsburgh it was time to make a big move, and the front office needed to prove the rumors true. However, Valdez ultimately signed with the Tigers.

The two-time All-Star heads to Detroit after playing for the Houston Astros for the past eight seasons. He's been incredibly consistent on the mound throughout most of his career and should bring that stability to the Tigers. Valdez ended the 2025 campaign with a 3.66 ERA and 1.245 WHIP while recording 187 strikeouts and a 54.2% winning percentage.