Framber Valdez Fantasy Stats

After spending the first eight seasons of his MLB career with the Houston Astros, starting pitcher Framber Valdez signed a three-year, $115 million contract with the Detroit Tigers over the winter. The 32-year-old established himself as one of the most reliable southpaws in baseball during his time with Houston. Dating back to 2022, Valdez has recorded four consecutive seasons with at least 176 innings pitched, 169 strikeouts, and an ERA under 3.70. Across 192 innings (31 starts) in 2025, Valdez posted a 13-11 record with a 3.66 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and 187 strikeouts. The veteran routinely posts one of the highest ground ball rates among MLB starters, which helps him limit home runs but can lead to a slightly elevated WHIP. Valdez also relies on workload volume to rack up strikeouts, as he posted a middling 23.3% strikeout rate in 2025. Still, Valdez has established a bankable production floor and will also now be making his home starts in a pitcher-friendly environment in Detroit. Valdez profiles as a steady fantasy SP2 heading into 2026.

Left-handed starting pitcher Framber Valdez has agreed to a three-year, $115 million contract with the Detroit Tigers, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN. Valdez was viewed as the top free agent starting pitcher on the market and will now join a rotation that features the two-time reigning AL Cy Young winner, Tarik Skubal. Passan noted that this contract features an opt-out following the second season. The southpaw has spent his entire eight-year MLB career with the Houston Astros. Last summer, the 32-year-old logged 192 innings to the tune of a 3.66 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and a 187:68 K:BB. Since 2022, the left-hander has been one of the most consistent workhorses in the sport, logging at least 190 innings in three of the four seasons. During this four-year stretch, Valdez has posted an overall 3.21 ERA with a strong 1.16 WHIP. While his strikeout upside is limited, Valdez remains a high-end SP2 in all formats, given his ability to produce high-end ratios while taking on a large workload.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have emerged as one of the most aggressive teams to pursue free-agent left-hander Framber Valdez, people briefed on the matter told Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The 32-year-old is the biggest name left on the open market this offseason, and adding him would enhance the Pirates' biggest strength -- their starting rotation, which is led by National League Cy Young winner Paul Skenes. The Pirates' new pitching coach, Bill Murphy, worked with Valdez as both a minor-league and major-league coach with the Houston Astros. In addition to the Pirates, the Baltimore Orioles, Toronto Blue Jays, Atlanta Braves, and San Diego Padres have been linked to Valdez this offseason. The 32-year-old southpaw would give the Bucs not only another strong arm but plenty of experience and durability, as he's just one of five pitchers to throw at least 900 innings in the last four seasons.

The Toronto Blue Jays remain interested in signing free-agent starting pitcher Framber Valdez, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Valdez remains the top arm on the market with spring training just a couple of weeks away. He posted double-digit wins and at least 22 starts in each of the last five seasons with Houston. He concluded his Astros tenure with an impressive 3.34 xFIP, 8.77 K/9, and 3.19 BB/9 in 2025. All the while, Valdez continued to effectively limit weak contact with just 0.7 HR/9 and a 72.9% ground ball rate. He's expected to fetch a sizable contract in free agency, but the chances of him settling for a shorter-term deal increase with each passing day. Valdez also has the qualifying offer attached to him, which adds a wrinkle to his market. Nevertheless, he is an ace who would offer a major upgrade to every rotation in baseball, including Toronto's. The American League champion's starting rotation is currently headlined by Kevin Gausman, Dylan Cease, Shane Bieber, and Trey Yesavage.

Free-agent pitcher Framber Valdez "will probably end up in Baltimore," league sources told Jim Bowden of The Athletic. Valdez remains unsigned and is still waiting for the right offer as spring training approaches, and while he'd be an upgrade to every rotation in baseball, Bowden notes that some teams simply don't want to spend the money on the former Houston Astros ace. The southpaw accrued double-digit wins and at least 22 starts in each of the last five seasons, and he posted an impressive 3.34 xFIP with 8.77 K/9 and 3.19 BB/9 in 2025. He continued to effectively limit weak contact with just 0.7 HR/9 and a 72.9% ground ball rate. His landing spot will determine his exact ADP in fantasy baseball drafts, but for now, he's the #28 starting pitcher in RotoBaller's latest rankings. If he ends up with the Orioles, he'd be the No. 1 option atop a rotation that also includes Trevor Rogers and Kyle Bradish.

Free agent starting pitcher Framber Valdez remains one of the top players on the market with spring training just a few weeks away. As Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports, Valdez isn't alone in that regard. Other top free agent arms include former Cy Young candidates Lucas Giolito and Zac Gallen, as well as future Hall of Fame inductees Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer. Valdez is looking for a new home after excelling as Houston's ace. He posted double-digit wins and at least 22 starts in each of the last five seasons, and he posted an impressive 3.34 xFIP with 8.77 K/9 and 3.19 BB/9 in 2025. He continued to effectively limit weak contact with just 0.7 HR/9 and a 72.9% ground ball rate. It's still unclear which teams are pursuing Valdez the heaviest, but there's no denying that he would offer a major upgrade to most rotations throughout the league. Currently, he's the #28 starting pitcher in RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball draft rankings, but he'll presumably move up or down a few spots once he signs with a team.

Free agent starting pitcher Framber Valdez remains unsigned as the calendar ticks closer to February and the start of 2026 Spring Training. The 32-year-old left-hander has been one of MLB's most durable and consistent starters over the past four seasons. In 2025, he posted a 13-11 record with a 3.66 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and 187 strikeouts across 192 innings (31 starts) for the Houston Astros. Valdez has been linked to several clubs at various points throughout the offseason and could be the next major free agent domino to fall. The most recent team to reportedly show interest in Valdez is the Toronto Blue Jays, who have been one of the winter's most active teams. However, Toronto recently lost infielder Bo Bichette to the New York Mets and missed out on outfielder Kyle Tucker, to whom they reportedly made a sizable offer, to the Los Angeles Dodgers. As a result, the Blue Jays could have money to spend on Valdez. If he lands in Toronto, Valdez would be in a good spot to record his sixth consecutive season with double-digit wins. He currently holds an average draft position of pick 89 in traditional rotisserie scoring fantasy leagues and could see his ADP rise once he finds a home.

According to Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportnet, the Toronto Blue Jays have had meetings with free agent left-hander Framber Valdez and remain in the mix to sign him. The Blue Jays have had a very active offseason, including signing Kazuma Okamoto to a four-year deal and starting pitcher Dylan Cease to a seven-year contract. Additionally, they were heavily linked to Kyler Tucker and even offered him a massive $350 million, 10-year deal before he signed with the Dodgers. With Tucker off the board, the Blue Jays have remained active among the top free agents and could look to further bolster their rotation by adding Valdez. The southpaw has been one of the most stable workhorse pitchers in the sport as he has logged over 190 innings in three of his last four seasons. During these four campaigns, the southpaw has held a 3.21 ERA with a 1.16 WHIP. Valdez projects to carry solid SP2 upside in all formats heading into 2026.

The Baltimore Orioles are reportedly still in the mix for free-agent left-handed starting pitcher Framber Valdez, according to Roch Kubatko. Valdez is one of the top remaining free agent starters on the market. The Giants and Mets have reportedly shown interest, but the O's also remain in the mix. It seems that the O's would like to add a top-of-the-rotation pitcher ahead of the 2026 season. They've been linked to Justin Verlander, but his best days are likely behind him. Valdez could be a potential game-changer to an Orioles rotation that already has Kyle Bradish and Trevor Rogers as their top options. In 2025, Valdez posted a 3.66 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and a 187/68 K/BB ratio across 31 starts with the Houston Astros. The 31-year-old could offer a significant boost to this O's rotation heading into the 2026 campaign.

Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports that the Boston Red Sox met with starting pitcher Framber Valdez in person at the MLB general managers' meetings in November, and speculates that the team could circle back to Valdez after losing third baseman Alex Bregman to the Chicago Cubs in free agency. Valdez, who is entering his age-32 season, posted a 13-11 record with a 3.66 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, and 187 strikeouts across 192 innings for the Houston Astros in 2025. The veteran left-hander has made at least 28 starts in four consecutive seasons, posting a 3.21 ERA across 767 2/3 innings pitched in that span. Healey notes that the Red Sox acquired starting pitcher Sonny Gray after meeting with Valdez, so it's possible the team feels it has filled its rotation needs. However, Boston could choose to upgrade its pitching staff with the money it has left over after missing on Bregman.