For Framber Valdez, the Detroit Tigers felt like family from the start. The Dominican Republic native's family attended his introductory press conference, with even the little ones dressed to the nines in suits and ties. His baseball family, his new rotation mates with the Tigers, were also there, albeit not so well-dressed, having just come in off the practice fields in sweats or baseball apparel. Despite their casual attire, the presence of Tarik Skubal, Jack Flaherty, Casey Mize, and Justin Verlander did not go unnoticed by Valdez.
"It makes you say these guys are leaders who support their teammates," Valdez said in Spanish. "When teammates support one another, it’s a really good thing, and you go far."
The other show of support that caught Valdez’s attention before he signed a three-year, $115 million contract with the Tigers? The fact that manager A.J. Hinch flew down to Florida to meet with him and try to convince him to sign. Hinch was Valdez’s manager in Houston through 2019, but that was before Valdez had blossomed into one of the league’s top starters. So they renewed their relationship over dinner.
"It meant a lot to me," Valdez said. "I felt really good, honestly, for him to come to me and tell me, ‘Hey, we need you, we want you to be part of the team.’ It made me feel part of the Tigers family. "
"That motivated me. He came to me, said what he had to say to me, and convinced me."
Valdez, who signed with the Astros as a teenager in 2015, is now just the second organization of his career. Over the last four seasons, he’s been one of baseball’s most reliable workhorse pitchers, averaging more than 30 starts per season. After some shaky seasons as a youngster under Hinch in 2018 and 2019, he established himself in the COVID-shortened 2020 season, striking out 76 in 70 innings. He’s been a full-time member of Houston’s rotation ever since, with his only significant injury coming on a fluke play in 2021 when he was struck by a ball on his finger.
"Today is a really exciting day for our organization," said Scott Harris, the Tigers’ president of baseball operations, as he introduced Valdez at the press conference. "Today we get to welcome one of the best pitchers in all of baseball to our rotation and to the Tiger family here. Framber has been elite in so many ways. He’s pitched on the biggest stages. The lights have never been too bright for him, and he has won a ton in his career."
But why did Valdez want to be a Tiger? "Everyone knows I love to compete, I love to play," he said. "I try to compete every time I’m on the field. I chose this team with the goal of being able to win and get to the World Series."
And this is the part most people miss... Valdez's decision to join the Tigers was not just about the team's potential to win, but also about the family-like atmosphere he felt from the start. The support of his new teammates and the personal connection with manager A.J. Hinch played a significant role in his decision. So, while the Tigers may have landed a top pitcher, they also gained a player who feels like he's already part of the family.
