Framber

Valdez

Valdez, who can opt out after 2027, gets a deferred $20 million signing bonus and salaries of $17.5 million this year, $37.5 million next year and $35 million in 2028. The mutual option is worth $40 million and includes a $5 million buyout. The contract also includes bonuses for finishing first ($2 million), second ($1 million) or third ($500,000) in the Cy Young balloting, winning World Series MVP ($2 million) and ALCS MVP ($1 million), any of which would be applied to the following year’s salary.

What interesting timing, given that the Tigers are supposed to learn Thursday whether they’re paying Tarik Skubal $32 million or $19 million next season. Perhaps they got some early good news on that front. Valdez is receiving $38.33 million per year here on the short-term deal. He gets a $20 million signing bonus and an opt out after 2027, according to the New York Post’s Jon Heyman. He’s set to join a rotation that would seem to be locked in with Skubal, Jack Flaherty, Casey Mize and Reese Olson, though the Tigers could look at moving Flaherty or Mize for a bat. As things stand now, neither Troy Melton nor Drew Anderson would be in line for a spot.

While the Pirates have a genuine interest in Valdez, there is a belief that their interest may just raise the price for other bidders. As Rosenthal notes, “The Baltimore Orioles have been linked to Valdez the entire offseason,” and “the Atlanta Braves and San Diego Padres continue to pursue starters.” However, the Pirates did hire Bill Murphy as their new pitching coach. He has “worked with Valdez for the vast majority of the pitcher’s professional career, as both a minor- and major-league coach with the Houston Astros,” so that may be enough for the left-hander to honestly entertain joining the Pirates.

Valdez has been linked to the Orioles and Mets, but there’s another team playing in the East that reportedly has interest in the former Houston ace. Even with Toronto adding Dylan Cease and having a pretty full rotation, it’s not surprising to see them having interest in a player with the ability of Valdez as they look to return — and possibly win — the World Series.

The 32-year-old southpaw is the top remaining free agent pitcher on the market, with the Giants and Mets among the other teams that are vying for his services. It seems like the Orioles are intent on adding at least one additional starter to their rotation before the 2026 season begins. They have also been linked to Justin Verlander should they fail in their pursuit of Valdez.

With Dylan Cease and Tatsuya Imai no longer on the market, Valdez and Suarez are likely the two biggest starting pitcher names being discussed. Neither one of them may be viewed as a traditional ace, but the Mets need proven, frontline starting pitching, and both of these veterans would fit the bill. For what it’s worth, Olney believes Suarez is the better fit for the Mets given his calm presence on the mound and his experience pitching in a big market in Philadelphia for his entire career.

Valdez is also known to have had conversations with the Orioles and Mets. No word yet on if he’s at the winter meetings, but since he’s the top arm left with Dylan Cease having signed, there are certainly a bunch of other starting pitchers that would like to see him sign quickly and open up the market.

Gomez notes that the Mets are expected to hand the 32-year-old hurler a six-year, $200 million contract. After the Blue Jays inked Dylan Cease to a seven-year, $210 million contract earlier in the week, nothing would surprise us as this stage. As Valdez is an extreme ground ball pitcher, perhaps their advanced interest in him played a role in the Mets acquiring two-time Gold Glove winner Marcus Semien from the Rangers earlier in the week to bolster their infield defense.

It comes as a mild surprise that four players — Shota Imanaga, Gleyber Torres, Brandon Woodruff and Trent Grisham — accepted the short-term pact this cycle instead of testing the open market since only 14 of 144 players since 2012 previously accepted qualifying offers. Tucker, Bichette, Schwarber, Valdez, Cease, Suárez and Díaz were no-doubters here while there was some thought that Gallen and King might take the one-year deal to build up their values before hitting free agency next offseason.

Passan adds that Kyle Schwarber, Bo Bichette, Framber Valdez, Dylan Cease, Ranger Suarez, Edwin Díaz, Zac Gallen, Shota Imanaga, Michael King, Trent Grisham, Gleyber Torres and Brandon Woodruff are the other dozen impending free agent to receive the tag prior to Thursday evening’s deadline. They have until Tuesday, November 18 to decide whether to accept the one-year deal or decline and become free agents. Only 14 of 144 players to receive a qualifying offer since 2012 have actually accepted it. It’s worth noting that players who were on multiple teams — Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suárez — along with players who have previously received a qualifying offer — Pete Alonso, Cody Bellinger and Alex Bregman — were ineligible to receive one this offseason.