February 8, 2026

Valdez finally found a home late into the offseason, inking a three-year $115 million dollar deal with Detroit. The signing seems like a good match, as Valdez finds his way onto a contender and Detroit stabilizes its rotation behind Tarik Skubal. Valdez has been a model of consistency over the course of his career, and that was no different last season. His 3.66 ERA was on the high side for him (career 3.36 ERA) but most of the peripheral metrics remained the same. His 23.3% strikeout rate and 2.75 K/BB ratio last season are both in line with career marks, and his 58.6% groundball rate and 0.7 HR/9 suggest he's still one of the game's best at suppressing power and inducing grounders. One area of concern with Valdez's new team could be their poor infield defense. Valdez is a groundball machine, and infielders Gleyber Torres and Colt Kieth are liabilities, while shortstop Zach McKinstry is an average fielder at best. It shouldn't' be enough to scare managers off Valdez, but it could mean more hits sneaking through in Detroit. Valdez is currently going as the 37th pitcher off the board in NFBC leagues, which is fair value. He's going around much more hyped pitchers like Eury Perez and Nolan McLean, so it's possible he gets pushed down as draft season progresses. He's an okay pick at cost, but even better if you can snag him after the top-40 pitchers.--Elliott Baas