"Valdez posted a 3.66 ERA and 3.37 FIP in 192 innings pitched last season, finishing with a 23.3 K% and an 8.5 BB%. Valdez sits in the mid-90s with his heater and has done a terrific job of generating soft-contact ground outs. For his career, Valdez has a 61.8% ground ball percentage. Just imagine how Valdez would perform with the Blue Jays' defence behind him."
"The thing is, 2025 was a bit of a down year for the left-handed pitcher. Valdez's ERA of 3.66 is the highest since becoming a big league regular. In the past five years, Valdez has finished with an ERA of 3.15 or lower three times, including two seasons with an ERA of 2.91 or lower. In 2024, he had a 2.91 ERA and 3.25 FIP in 176.1 innings, finishing seventh in Cy Young voting."
Framber Valdez is still available in free agency and would provide a left-handed option for a Blue Jays rotation currently stocked with right-handed starters. The Blue Jays have six realistic rotation options including Trey Yesavage, Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber, and José Berríos, all right-handed. Valdez posted a 3.66 ERA and 3.37 FIP in 192 innings with a 23.3% strikeout rate, 8.5% walk rate, and a 61.8% career ground-ball rate, generating many soft-contact ground outs. Valdez had stronger seasons in 2024 and 2022. Signing him would create a rotation logjam and would cost draft-pick compensation due to a qualifying offer.
Read at BlueJaysNation
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