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We’ll never be sure whether Valdez’s midseason tantrum, in which he appeared to intentionally cross up his catcher, tamped down his market. What we know is that he landed back with a manager, A.J. Hinch, who knew him long before the incident in question, and who himself had to return from questions about his actions. It’s a tidy story, to be sure, and it’s not like the Tigers are getting Valdez at much of a discount. The recent trend of shorter deals at higher AAV will make Valdez the seventh-highest paid player in baseball this year.
Valdez fills a deep hole. The Tigers wanted Jack Flaherty to be Robin to Skubal’s Batman, a bit much to ask from the veteran righty. Casey Mize never rose to that level, Jackson Jobe got hurt before he could strap on the utility belt. Valdez, a true #2 who has been a #1 at his best, rescues Hinch from the “pitching chaos” that defined recent runs. As with Brendan Donovan and T-Mobile Park, you can see some issues with the fit, as the Tigers return all of a below-average defensive infield, a far cry from what Valdez had supporting him in Houston. (Consensus top-five prospect Kevin McGonigle, who has a chance to make the team this spring, won’t improve the defense much.)
