Much of the MLB offseason was spent weighing the various possibilities of where the Houston Astros‘ former ace Framber Valdez could land. After a long couple of months, he found a new home with the Detroit Tigers.
In February 2026, on the tail end of hot stove season, the 32-year-old southpaw signed a three-year, $115 million contract with the Tigers.
Months have passed since the groundbreaking transaction took place, and Valdez is reflecting on his offseason experience as a free agent.
Tigers’ Framber Valdez Gets Honest
GettyFramber Valdez of the Detroit Tigers opened up about his free agency experience with the Houston Astros
According to writer Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle, Valdez, through his interpreter, opened up about his free agency during the offseason.
Kawahara reports that he stated he “would have loved” to “stay home.”
Valdez spent his entire MLB career with the Astros — eight years.
He added, “No hard feelings at all. I’m very grateful and thankful for the for giving me the chance to become the player that I am. They gave me the opportunity to be a major-league player [and] to be here and have a good contract now as a professional. So I’m thankful for them.”
The Valdez transaction was a highly anticipated move over the winter, but it wasn’t clear where he would end up for his 2026 campaign.
During his final season with the Astros, he logged a 3.66 ERA and 187 strikeouts across 192.0 innings pitched through 31 starts.
He walked 68 batters along the way.
Valdez Plays Underwhelming 2026 Campaign
GettyDetroit Tigers’ Framber Valdez is not experiencing success this season
Despite the hype surrounding the veteran ace, Valdez has not been meeting expectations this year with his new organization.
Through 14 starts, he has recorded a 4.40 ERA and 61 strikeouts across 77.2 innings of work.
To add to his woes, he was sidelined for a five-game suspension in May after he intentionally threw at Boston Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story.
Overall, his season has been memorable for all the wrong reasons.
Now, Valdez is no stranger to struggle on the mound. His long stint with the Astros was not without its battles.
But this year is notably concerning,
Having said that, it sounds like he still finds himself reflecting on his time down in Houston.
Tigers Right Now
GettyDetroit Tigers pitcher Framber Valdez reflected on his free agency experience
During the offseason, Detroit had seemingly set itself up for nothing but success in terms of pitching.
The ballclub managed to retain Tarik Skubal, while bringing on Valdez, Justin Verlander, Kenley Jansen, Kyle Finnegan and Drew Anderson.
However, the injured list has plagued the team, and performances have not been where fans know they could.
Ahead of their clash against the Astros, Detroit is riding a 29-42 overall record.
They are placed second-to-last in the American League Central standings.
This is not the season the Tigers had so deeply hoped for, but it’s not too late to turn things around.
However, the starting point will need to be maintaining a healthy pitching staff and getting their key arms back on track.
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