Framber Valdez ended up as one of the biggest letdowns in a Tigers season that had plenty of them, but Detroit thinks the fix may be surprisingly straightforward.
Valdez did lead the pitching staff in innings pitched and strikeouts, yet he still finished with a 4.03 ERA and a 1.362 WHIP. Both numbers were career highs in a year when he made 20 or more starts, which is not what the Tigers had in mind when they committed the largest contract for a lefty starter by AAV.
That deal was made with a bigger picture in mind. Detroit may not have expected to lose Tarik Skubal at the trade deadline, but the organization was clearly looking ahead when it brought in Valdez. The idea of pairing the two was real enough that some around the team viewed it as one of the best 1-2 punches in the game, and the Tigers wanted insurance for the day Skubal reached free agency.
Instead, the season played out differently. Afterward, Scott Harris was blunt about it when he said, "T hat's not good enough. He would tell you that's not good enough, too."
Still, there was at least some encouragement in September. Valdez worked four starts and 23 1/3 innings that month and posted a 1.93 ERA, with the Tigers pointing to a small but meaningful adjustment: he shifted to the middle of the rubber.
“If you look at the characteristics of his stuff, nothing has changed for him,” Harris said. “If anything, the move on the rubber to help him get his curveball back has really helped him, and we need to translate some of those adjustments into next year.”
That kind of subtle mechanical change can be enough to put a pitcher back on track.
Detroit’s rotation picture for 2027 is close to set, with Valdez expected to front a group that includes Troy Melton, Jackson Jobe, River Ryan, and one of Reese Olson, Keider Montero, or Drew Anderson. Harris and the Tigers are betting that this season was more blip than breakdown, with underperformance playing a role and bad luck doing some of the damage too.
Valdez has less room for excuses than most, and the Tigers need him to resemble the pitcher they paid for if they’re going to be taken seriously again in 2027. AJ Hinch said the club may have waited a little too long to work through some of the adjustments, but the hope is that the late-season progress gives Valdez a foundation to build on.
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