Framber Valdez is officially off the board.
The veteran left-hander Valdez is signing with the Detroit Tigers in free agency, Jeff Passan of ESPN reported on Wednesday. Valdez is getting a monster three-year, $115 million contract from the Tigers, Passan adds.
For the 32-year-old Valdez, that marks the highest average annual value ($38.3 million) for a left-handed pitcher in MLB history. It also represents the highest-ever average annual value for a Latin American pitcher (Valdez is a native of the Dominican Republic).
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic adds that Valdez’s deal comes with deferrals plus an opt-out after the second year.
Valdez, a two-time All-Star and former World Series champion with the Houston Astros, was the best remaining starting pitcher on the free agent market. Last season for the Astros, Valdez went 13-11 with a 3.66 ERA, a 1.25 WHIP, 187 strikeouts, and an MLB-leading two complete games over 31 total starts.
The Tigers won 87 games last season (their most in over a decade) and also made it to the ALDS. But they are still a very surprising winner in the Valdez sweepstakes given that the veteran pitcher had mainly been linked instead to the Baltimore Orioles, the San Francisco Giants, and (most recently) another big American League contender.
Detroit does have a delicate and unprecedented arbitration situation to deal with right now with reigning AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal. But at least for next season, the 1-2 punch atop their rotation of Skubal and Valdez could potentially make the Tigers a favorite to win the AL pennant (something they have not done since 2012).
