Late on Wednesday, the Detroit Tigers signed left-hander Framber Valdez to a three-year, $115 million contract that also includes an opt-out after 2026. Valdez was the top remaining free agent, and while most of the big names are now off the board, there are still options available.
There are a lot of teams that still need starting pitching, and though Valdez has come off the market, there are still opportunities for those teams to bolster their rotations, even if they can’t land an ace.
Here is a look at where the pitching market stands after Valdez came off the board on Wednesday.
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Where things stand in pitching market
Sep 20, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez (59) reacts after a play during the fourth inning against the Seattle Mariners at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
There are still some strong options that are unsigned at the moment. The best available option now is right-hander Zac Gallen. The Baltimore Orioles still need starting pitching for 2026. Teams like the Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Angels also need help in their rotations.
Gallen’s price will certainly go up after the Valdez signing, so the competition will be fierce to land him. But there are also other options available. Chris Bassitt, Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer and Lucas Giolito are some of the other arms that are still available. Those arms are more in the second tier of rotation options, but they can all help teams in need.
There are also lower-cost options like Griffin Canning, Jose Quintana, Nestor Cortes, Zack Littell and Nick Martinez who could be had on short-term deals. But the teams in need of higher-end starting pitching will likely focus on those types of arms instead of settling for bargain-type moves.
But now that Valdez is signed, the top arm available is Gallen, and it will certainly be interesting to see what his market looks like in the coming days as teams look to put the final touches on their roster for the 2026 season.
Valdez signing with Detroit should have major implications on the current market and potentially cause some other dominoes to fall in the next few weeks. There are still a lot of good options available, so we’ll see what other teams decide to do and where they will ultimately land in their search for pitching with Valdez now out of the picture.
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