A.J. Hinch and Tarik Skubal Get Candid About Framber Valdez Joining Tigers
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The Detroit Tigers capped off their offseason with the addition of left-handed pitcher Framber Valdez for a three-year contract.
With Valdez now donning a Tigers uniform, alongside back-to-back Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal, Casey Mize, Justin Verlander and Jack Flaherty, Detroit may have the best starting rotation in all of Major League Baseball.
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But before Valdez signed with Detroit, there were no reports that came out that the front office had interest in the two-time All-Star.
Out of the blue, the Tigers changed the outlook of their offseason with the signing, but it was something manager A.J. Hinch was eager to get done after meeting with his former Houston Astros player.
A.J. Hinch on Valdez
In an interview with MLB Network Radio, Hinch opened up about what adding Valdez to Detroit means for the franchise in the immediate future.
"When the free agent has a choice, you've gotta be the choice," Hinch said. "You've got to be an environment he wants to come to. When it all started to come together toward the latter half of the offseason, I was pretty excited. I got a little eager to put a rotation together with him."
The connection between Hinch and Valdez must have had some impact on Valdez joining the Tigers, other than Detroit eliminated Houston in 2024 and beating them out for the last Wild Card spot this past year, which Hinch mentioned to MLB Network.
Skubal on Valdez's Put-Away Pitch
From one southpaw to another, Skubal loves one pitch of Valdez's that he typically uses as his put-away.
"I want his curveball really bad. I love his sinker, but that curveball is special," Skubal told MLB Network. "It's 80-82, it's hard. Usually, when you have a big curveball, it works off of a four-seamer, but his is so deceptive. You don't see it until it's gone."
Skubal is set to get the Tigers' season underway on the mound against the San Diego Padres on opening day, likely followed by Valdez in game two. The one-two punch is nasty, and Skubal believes if he's around Valdez all season, he can get a sense of the curveball he's uber impressed with.
Skubal struck out 241 batters in 2025, Valdez and Flaherty nearly struck out 200 batters in 2025, and Verlander and Mize are the control artists. There's a different kind of feeling in Detroit going into the 2026 season, despite the Tigers still searching for their first win in spring training.
Dominic Minchella is a 2024 Eastern Michigan University graduate with a BA in Communications, Media, and Theatre Arts and a Journalism minor. He covers Major League Baseball for On SI and spends his free time watching games and sharing his insights.