NEWS: Pitcher Framber Valdez inks 3-year, $115M deal with Tigers: report

In a bold offseason move, veteran left-hander Framber Valdez and the Detroit Tigers have agreed to a three-year, $115 million contract, sources told MLB.com, marking one of the most significant free-agent signings of the winter.

Valdez, 32, arrives in Detroit after eight seasons with the Houston Astros, where he established himself as one of baseball’s most durable and effective starters. Over his career through the 2025 season, he compiled an 81-52 record with a 3.36 ERA and more than 1,050 strikeouts, earning two All-Star selections and pitching a no-hitter in 2023.

In 2025, the Dominican native posted a 13-11 record with a 3.66 ERA, struck out 187 batters, and logged 192 innings — the third time in four years he reached at least 30 starts.

Detroit’s rotation, already a strength, is now even more formidable. Valdez will join a staff led by two-time American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal, who dominated the 2025 season with a 2.21 ERA, 241 strikeouts and an AL-leading ERA across nearly 200 innings.

With Skubal as the ace and Valdez set to slot in as a high-floor No. 2, the Tigers’ pitching depth becomes a cornerstone of their 2026 contention hopes a season after losing the ALDS in five games to the Mariners.

Combined with veterans Jack Flaherty and Casey Mize, Detroit’s rotation projects as one of the American League’s most competitive, a key factor as the club pushes for its first division title in over a decade. The deal is pending a physical, sources said.