Framber Valdez’s latest outing did nothing to steady the Detroit Tigers, and it may have pushed the club a little closer to some uncomfortable decisions.
Detroit dropped Tuesday’s game to the Chicago Cubs, 11-2, and Valdez was at the center of the damage. He didn’t make it through the first inning, lasting just 0.2 innings while allowing five runs on six hits. He also walked two and struck out one.
For a Tigers team trying to hang around in the American League wildcard race, that kind of start is a brutal setback. Detroit has been trying to build enough momentum to shift from seller to buyer at the MLB Trade Deadline, but a performance like that makes the opposite path look easier to justify.
Valdez’s season has not matched the expectations that came with him when he signed with the Tigers, and his struggles have become part of the bigger conversation around what Detroit should do next. If manager AJ Hinch and the Tigers decide to move pieces, Valdez’s season only strengthens the case for making tough calls.
One possibility would be moving Valdez to the bullpen, especially with Jackson Jobe working his way back from injury. That would give Detroit another option in the rotation if the team wants to make a change.
Of course, that plan depends on what the Tigers do between now and the deadline. If they keep losing and decide to sell, they could also move starters such as Tarik Skubal, Jack Flaherty and others. In that scenario, Valdez may have no choice but to stay in the rotation.
For now, though, Detroit still has time to sort it out. The cleanest answer from the fans’ point of view would probably be a trip to Triple-A or a move to the bullpen, but that’s not a decision Valdez would likely embrace given the money he’s making to start. His performance, though, is making the case for a demotion harder to ignore.
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Roberts appeal is easy to see even with his season interrupted by injury. He has long handled left-handed pitching well, and that kind of split could matter for a Tigers lineup looking for any edge it can find in a tight race. The question is whether Detroit thinks the upside is worth the risk, especially with a player whose availability has been limited and whose market would come with plenty of uncertainty attached. [Read more 🡒]