Tigers' solution to unlocking Framber Valdez in 2027 feels too simple to be true

Framber Valdez was arguably the Tigers' greatest disappointment in a season full of those. Although he led Detroit's pitching staff in innings pitched and strikeouts, he ended the year with a 4.03 ERA and a 1.362 WHIP, career-highs in a season when he started 20 or more games.

Valdez was given the largest contract for a lefty starter by AAV for a reason. The Tigers might not initially have been planning to lose Tarik Skubal at the trade deadline, but they were certainly looking further down the line when they signed Valdez. The hype around that combo was real — some were calling it one of the best 1-2s in the game — and the Tigers would have assurances when Skubal left in free agency.

Of course, that's not what happened. Scott Harris didn't mince words when he said in his post-season press conference, "That's not good enough. He would tell you that's not good enough, too."

But the Tigers were heartened by the progress they saw in September, when Valdez pitched four starts (23 1/3 innings) for a 1.93 ERA. They pointed a small adjustment: he moved to the middle of the rubber.

Could Tigers' solution to Framber Valdez's woes be as simple as they say?

“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.”

Sometimes those mechanical tweaks, almost imperceptible to fans, is all a pitcher needs to lock back in.

The Tigers' rotation is all but set for 2027, with Valdez leading the charge ahead of Troy Melton, Jackson Jobe, River Ryan, and any one of Reese Olson, Keider Montero, and Drew Anderson. Harris and Tigers fans are holding out hope that this year was a blip, when underperformance was a factor, of course, but so was bad luck.

Valdez has fewer excuses, and they're going to need him to turn back into the pitcher they signed him to be if they're going to compete in earnest again in 2027. AJ Hinch admitted that the team might have waited a little too long to try to work on some adjustments, but fans are certainly hoping that this will all just lay a foundation for next season, and that Valdez can come back and build on it.

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