Blue Jays miss out on $115 million free agent to AL rival

The Toronto Blue Jays apparently weren't done in free agency after all.

This time, they just couldn't close the job, much like happened with Kyle Tucker and Bo Bichette.

The latest report from ESPN's Jesse Rogers is that the Blue Jays wanted Framber Valdez.

But in the end, Toronto didn't get Valdez.

He signed with the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday for three years and $115 million total.

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Rogers reported that the Blue Jays, Orioles and Twins all wanted Valdez, too, but Detroit won the bidding war and will pair him with Tarik Skubal at the front of their rotation.

Valdez is a lefty from the Houston Astros with a career 3.36 ERA and coming off a 3.66 ERA in the 2025 season.

His sinker-balling nature makes him likely to age gracefully, since he doesn't rely as much on velocity as many modern pitchers.

Toronto had already made an early pitching splash in free agency when it signed Dylan Cease to a seven-year deal worth $210 million.

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The Blue Jays also added righty Cody Ponce in free agency as he returns from pitching in Korea.

One of the best areas of depth for Toronto appears to be the pitching rotation, so it would've been a surprise to see them shell out a bunch of money for Valdez.

Apparently, though, the Blue Jays are doing everything they can to avoid losing in Game 7 of the World Series again.

It's just that, in the second half of this offseason, they keep finishing in second place again.

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