Framber Valdez Pursuit Raises Questions About Blue Jays Starting Pitching

Examining whether the Blue Jays' efforts to pursue Framber Valdez indicates distrust in their current starting rotation.

New Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Framber Valdez | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Framber Valdez sweepstakes are over and, with them, arguably the last bit of intrigue left in what has been an eventful Toronto Blue Jays offseason.

It's still theoretically possible that the club opts to sign a free agent like Zac Gallen, reunite with Chris Bassitt or Max Scherzer or find a taker for Jose Berrios, but it seems more likely that they remain content with a deep, strong roster and the possibility of mid-season additions.

If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.

But before we completely turn the page on what was ultimately a failed reported pursuit of Valdez, the interest from the Blue Jays' camp in the 32-year-old remains both curious and confusing.

There's no question that the two-time All-Star would have made Toronto better as a front line left-hander to balance out a righty-dominant rotation, but his chase felt like a superfluous pursuit based only on the fact that the organization had money to spend after being jilted by Bo Bichette and Kyle Tucker. Even still, however, the Blue Jays' involvement in the Valdez sweepstakes raises questions.

Does Framber Valdez Chase Call Toronto's Starting Pitching Depth into Question?

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Trey Yesavage | Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

The prevalent narrative surrounding Toronto's offseason (or at least the early stages of it) has been taking an already-strong starting five and making it even stronger. Once Shane Bieber surprisingly opted in for the upcoming season, the club continued their work on the rotation by essentially replacing Bassitt and Scherzer with Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce.

On paper, a group that includes Bieber, Cease, Ponce, Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage and (for now) Berrios ranks among the league's best, particularly when you throw in the depth offered by Eric Lauer and Bowden Francis. Look a little closer, however, and there are some question marks.

Bieber has still only made 11 starts (including the postseason) since early 2024 on account of Tommy John surgery and performed slightly below his career averages during his late season stint with the Blue Jays. How his arm holds up over a full season bears watching.

Ponce also brings his own share of uncertainty as he looks to make a successful return to the majors following four seasons abroad. His dominant 2025 MVP campaign in the KBO offers a tantalizing taste of what he can bring, but he wasn't facing big league-caliber opposition and didn't exactly fare well against MLB batters during his first stint as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Likewise, there is no shortage of optimism for Yesavage's first full season as a big league pitcher following his stunning playoff breakthrough last fall. But three regular season appearances and six postseason games — however promising they may have been — is a very small sample size for the 22-year-old. It's a lot to ask the rookie right-hander to start 30-plus games consider he has never thrown as many as 100 innings in a single minor league season.

Ultimately, no team will go into the 2026 season without at least some concern over how their rotation will hold up and perform over the course of a 162-game campaign. The Blue Jays are as well-positioned as any club amongst their starters, but that doesn't mean that they won't be wishing they had Valdez in the fold at some point over the course of the season.