Framber Valdez did not attempt to dress up his first season with the Detroit Tigers.

The veteran left-hander made his final start Wednesday afternoon, allowing two runs on four hits with six strikeouts and three walks over 5⅓ innings in Detroit’s 4-2 loss to the Washington Nationals. He retired the first 11 batters he faced before running into trouble later in the outing.

That performance completed a season featuring dependable availability but inconsistent results from one of Detroit’s largest offseason investments.

“It’s been a difficult season,” Valdez said through interpreter Carlos Guillen. “I tried my best to find that consistency. But one of the things I’m glad for is the way I finished the season on a high note and that I finished the whole season healthy and I stayed in the rotation without visiting the injured list.”

Valdez’s assessment was accurate. His season was difficult, but it was not without value.

Valdez’s Results Fell Below Expectations

Valdez finished his first Detroit season with a 10-12 record, 4.03 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 135 strikeouts across 174 innings. He made 31 starts, but the ERA and WHIP were his worst marks since becoming a full-time Major League starter.

Those results fall short of what Detroit expected after signing Valdez to a three-year, $115 million contract in February.

Valdez arrived after recording a 3.23 ERA across 973 innings from 2020 through 2025. His résumé included two All-Star selections, a World Series championship and three top-10 finishes in American League Cy Young voting.

He also entered Detroit as one of baseball’s most reliable starting pitchers. The Tigers envisioned Valdez joining Tarik Skubal atop a rotation capable of carrying them through another postseason run.

Instead, Skubal was traded and Valdez became the most experienced starter on a team that fell out of contention.

Detroit did not receive the front-line performance it purchased, but it did receive the workload.

Durability Remained Valdez’s Greatest Strength

Valdez made exactly 31 starts for the fourth time in five seasons. Only Kevin Gausman, Aaron Nola and Logan Gilbert have reached 31 starts at least four times during that span.

“I am a little bit proud of that,” Valdez said. “It shows the work I put into it. I prepare all year to do my best to be on the mound every time. Thirty-one starts is a result of the workouts and the preparation and staying focused. I thank the Lord for helping to keep me healthy the whole time.”

That durability matters, especially for a Tigers rotation that dealt with injuries and significant turnover.

Valdez did not land on the injured list. He continued taking the ball through poor stretches, including an August outing in which he made bizarre franchise history by failing to record a strikeout.

The final numbers were disappointing, but 174 innings still provided Detroit with stability. A lesser pitcher could have delivered the same uneven results while also leaving the Tigers scrambling to cover additional starts.

Valdez’s availability kept his season from becoming a complete failure.

Late Adjustments Offer Encouragement

Valdez’s transition involved more than changing teams and cities after spending his first eight Major League seasons with the Houston Astros.

The implementation of the automated ball-strike system forced him to adjust the target area for his sinker. Opponents hit .315 and slugged .427 against that pitch, marking its worst results during any full season of his career.

Valdez eventually moved toward the middle of the rubber and began using more four-seam fastballs at the top of the strike zone. That pitch helped set up his curveball and changeup while giving hitters something else to consider besides the sinker.

“Both of those things helped,” Valdez said. “Moving to the middle of the mound helped me out a lot and being able to spot the four-seamer at the high part of the strike zone, using it and mastering the location in the zone was key for me.”

The adjustments produced tangible improvement. Valdez posted a 1.93 ERA with 19 strikeouts across 23⅓ innings in September. His final start was not dominant from beginning to end, but it continued a much stronger closing stretch.

Detroit Still Needs More From Its Investment

Valdez’s contract carries significantly larger salaries over the next two seasons. According to MLB’s official contract breakdown, his base salary jumps from $17.5 million in 2026 to $37.5 million in 2027 before reaching $35 million in 2028. He can opt out after the 2027 season.

That structure raises the standard.

Thirty-one starts and 174 innings have value, but Detroit did not commit $115 million simply to purchase stability. The Tigers paid for a durable pitcher capable of producing near the front of a competitive rotation.

Valdez did not consistently meet that expectation in Year 1. His late-season adjustments provide a credible reason to believe better results are possible, but one productive month cannot erase five uneven months.

His own assessment remains the fairest summary.

It was a difficult season. Valdez stayed healthy, accepted the ball every fifth day and eventually discovered changes that helped him finish strongly. Those are meaningful positives.

They are also the starting point for what Detroit will need from him next season, not proof that the investment has already paid off.