Framber Valdez: keep an eye on the Blue Jays

Could Framber Valdez sign with the Blue Jays?

The organization, which has never been afraid to spend money, was named by Jon Heyman as one of the teams that could still be looking to improve their rotation.

Teams still seriously considering starting pitchers with 2 weeks to go: Orioles, Tigers, D-Backs, Padres, Braves, Yankees, Cubs, Angels, Giants, Rays, A's, White Sox and maybe Jays, Marlins, Phillies

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 28, 2026

And this is despite the fact that they have plenty of depth.

Of course, you might say that the club doesn't have to sign the best pitcher available to improve. That there are other possibilities elsewhere on the market.

That's not wrong.

But Heyman himself said that the Blue Jays could very well take the money left on the table by Kyle Tucker and stick their noses into the file of the former Houston pitcher.

Here is the clip linking Valdez to the #BlueJays https://t.co/QaHfcjzEfL pic.twitter.com/QXIz0ysoJ9

— Springer For MVP (@UNCstillgot_it) January 28, 2026

Heyman ranked the Orioles #1 in the derby (the talented pitcher is really linked to the Baltimore team these days), but the Blue Jays are second in his rankings.

Valdez, at this point, could sign a shorter-term deal. That would be a smaller financial commitment for the Blue Jays than a multi-year contract with a controversial pitcher.

Adding Valdez to such a rotation in Toronto would make the team truly dangerous. And it would make it easier than ever to trade Jose Berrios to another team.

Ben Nicholson-Smith recently said that the Blue Jays met with Valdez in November. We didn't make a big deal out of it, considering that Dylan Cease has since arrived in town. But…

Heard something recently that adds a little context around how the Blue Jays operate atop the free agent market: they met in person with Framber Valdez at the GM Meetings before signing Dylan Cease. https://t.co/ev8EjRtw0b

— Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) January 17, 2026

You should never count out a wealthy club like the Blue Jays in a situation like this. And we know that depth on the mound is more important than ever in MLB.

It's also important to keep in mind that it's easy to use the Blue Jays to drive up the market.

Dylan Cease, Shane Bieber (player option), Cody Ponce, and Tyler Rogers are the club's big signings this winter on the mound. Should a bat be a higher priority at this point?

The Tigers, Giants, and Braves are also worth watching in the Valdez situation.

This content was created with the help of AI.