MLB rumors: The 3 other teams that ‘were in on’ Framber Valdez before Tigers signing

When the dust settled, the Detroit Tigers won the Framber Valdez sweepstakes with a three-year, $115 million contract. However, they weren’t the only team trying to acquire the left-hander.

The Baltimore Orioles, Toronto Blue Jays and Minnesota Twins were all in on Valdez, via Jesse Rogers of ESPN. That doesn’t mean they were all willing to offer $115 million over three years. But all three franchises at least showed a degreed level of interest in Valdez.

The Twins come off as the biggest shock on that list. After trading away most of their team at the 2025 deadline, they don’t have the makings of a playoff ready team. Still, their rotation does feature a pair of impressive starters in Joe Ryan and Pablo Lopez. Adding Valdez to the mix would give Minnesota one of the scarier rotations in the league.

The Orioles have been connected to Valdez throughout the offseason. They’ve been big spenders, bringing in players like Pete Alonso and Ryan Helsley. Adding a player of Valdez’s caliber to the mix would’ve given Baltimore the ace they need.

The Blue Jays have been another big spender, signing pitchers Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce. Like Baltimore, Toronto’s interest in Valdez was no industry secret. Adding him to a lineup that also features names like Kevin Gausman and Trey Yesavage could’ve been what the Blue Jays needed to take home a World Series title.

But alas, all of those scenarios will remain pipe dreams. The Tigers decided to pounce on Valdez with Tarik Skubal still on the roster. Assuming he isn’t trading, Detroit now has arguably the scarier one-two pitching punch in the league.

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