MLB offseason: Valdez, Suárez, other moves
The MLB offseason is underway. Follow along for analysis of all major transactions over the winter.
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Eugenio Suárez I Brendon Donovan I Jordan Hicks I January I December I November
Feb. 4
Tigers make surprise splash for Framber Valdez
✍️ 3-year, $115M contract
What it means for Tigers: Well, that's certainly interesting timing. Hours after the club wrapped up its arbitration hearing with two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal, Detroit reportedly agreed to a three-year, $115-million deal with left-hander Framber Valdez. The addition is massive - and a huge surprise signing - for a Tigers team that needed another impact starter.
Due to the $13-million difference in potential salary in 2026, many expected the Tigers to wait to sign another pitcher until a verdict was reached in Skubal's hearing. Clearly, Detroit will make it work regardless of the outcome. If Skubal wins his case, the Tigers will have two pitchers making at least $30 million this season. If the team prevails, its most valuable player will have the fourth-highest salary on the roster, taking home less than half of what his newest teammate is making. That's a bit uncomfortable.
There's a scenario now - as unlikely as it might be - where the Tigers entertain moving Skubal before spring training opens. The arbiters' ruling will play a significant factor in any potential trade return, but Detroit could still get a haul for Skubal regardless. The front office should have a clear understanding of what Skubal will command in his next deal, and if the Tigers aren't willing to make a legitimate bid, they could bring in a number of pieces to help this current core long term - much like how the Brewers operate.
Although he's certainly not Skubal, Valdez being under contract through at least the 2027 season gives Detroit a starter at the top of the rotation if it moves on from its ace. However, handing Valdez a $38-million AAV and then showing Skubal the door would be an almost impossible sell to the fan base. As a result, the Tigers might just give it their best shot this season with a powerful 1-2 punch and figure out Skubal's future later. With both Skubal and Valdez, this club now boasts two of the eight pitchers who threw at least 190 innings last season.
While all that remains up in the air, the immediate takeaway is that the Tigers are much better now than they were yesterday. Valdez has been one of the top starters in the AL over the last four campaigns, posting a 3.21 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 3.29 FIP, and 8.8 K/9 while averaging 30 starts per year. Last season was somewhat of a down year for him by his standards, as he recorded a 3.66 ERA and 1.24 WHIP across 192 innings. However, Valdez had a 2.97 ERA across his first 23 starts before struggling to a 5.83 ERA over his final eight outings. His 46.6% hard-hit rate was his highest in five years, though he should benefit from a solid defensive unit and a more spacious ballpark in Detroit. Since 2021, Valdez has led the majors with a 61.6% ground-ball rate (min. 500 IP), and his 0.7 HR/9 ranks third-best behind Logan Webb and Max Fried.
Valdez's character came into question late last season after an incident with his catcher, where he appeared to cross him up intentionally. Both players denied any wrongdoing, and the club didn't punish Valdez. Tigers skipper A.J. Hinch managed Valdez in Houston and likely advocated for his character before bringing him in.
We'll have to wait to see what - if anything - happens next for the Tigers, but as of right now, they're the early favorite to win their first AL Central title since 2014. Valdez's contract is $8 million more than what the rest of the division has spent combined on free agents this winter.
Feb. 2
Mariners fill huge infield hole in 3-team trade for Donovan
What it means for Mariners: Seattle looks poised to repeat as AL West champs after adding what's likely the final piece of a really solid offseason. Brendan Donovan isn't a superstar, but he's exactly what the Mariners needed, and gives them more certainty in the infield rather than relying on some of their younger internal options.
The 29-year-old can cover at second base, third base, and left field. He has the ability to hit at the top of the lineup and gives manager Dan Wilson another left-handed bat that can help balance the order. Donovan is coming off a season in which he hit .287/.353/.422 with 10 home runs, and 32 doubles, to go with a .775 OPS and 2.9 fWAR over 118 games. His 13 K% ranked in the 92nd percentile and would have been the best mark on the Mariners. Seattle's third basemen combined for 1.4 fWAR all of last season. While they did get great production from Jorge Polanco at second base, he's since signed elsewhere, making the Donovan addition that much more important.
Donovan's under team control for the next two seasons, fitting perfectly within Seattle's competitive window. His $5.8-million salary in 2026 is also relatively modest for his production. Donovan's addition takes a lot of pressure off needing young infielders Cole Young and Colt Emerson to contribute big this season.
What it means for Cardinals: Chaim Bloom's officially completed his offseason checklist by trading away Donovan, Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras, and Nolan Arenado. In doing so, Bloom has added MLB Pipeline's 90th-ranked prospect in Cijntje, two MLB-ready pitching prospects in Richard Fitts and Hunter Dobbins, and another intriguing arm in Brandon Clarke. Meanwhile, Peete was a first-round pick in 2023, while Ledbetter went 55th that same year. The priority for St. Louis is to continue to add as many lottery tickets as possible.
Bloom's claim to fame is the work he did in rebuilding the Red Sox' minor-league system through the draft, and he'll have the opportunity to make an immediate impact this summer. The Cardinals netted two compensation picks for Donovan, giving them six selections (No. 13, 32, 50, 68, 72, 86) in the first three rounds in the 2026 draft. St. Louis' system was ranked ninth by ESPN last week, with six top-100 prospects. The addition of Cijntje should further boost that, and don't be surprised if it's hovering around No. 5 by August.
What it means for Rays: Tampa Bay owns the No. 2, 33, and 49 pick in this summer's draft, so parting with its compensation pick further down was likely an easy decision in order to add Williamson. The 25-year-old gets a great opportunity to join a Rays club that should have plenty of competition for big-league roster spots. Willamson's only played third base in the majors, but did see time at second base and shortstop in the minors.
Third baseman Junior Caminero is one of the few players locked into a position, so Williamson will likely either need to bounce around defensively if he cracks the Opening Day roster, or will begin the season in Triple-A.
In Williamson, Tampa Bay gets a strong defensive player who has yet to see his bat follow his glove. While he did slash .314/.392/.462 with five home runs in 52 games in the hitter-friendly PCL last season, he managed to hit just .253/.294/.310 with one home run and 64 strikeouts across 296 plate appearances in the majors.
Feb. 1
Reds reunite with slugger Eugenio Suárez
✍️ 1-year, $15M contract
What it means for Reds: Cincinnati struck out in its pursuit of Kyle Schwarber, but Eugenio Suárez is more than a solid consolation prize for a small-market club. Suárez's deficiencies are well known; he's a poor defender, doesn't draw walks, and posted the sixth-highest strikeout rate among qualified hitters last season. However, when you boast the power that Suárez does, you can live with those issues. The 34-year-old is coming off a season in which he hit 49 home runs, and finished seventh in the majors with 77 extra-base hits.
The Reds should be able to pull the maximum value out of Suárez by using him primarily as the team's DH, with two-time Gold Glove winner Ke'Bryan Hayes manning third base.
That injection of power is exactly what a young Reds lineup needs. Cincinnati ranked 21st in home runs last season, with Elly De La Cruz (22), and Spencer Steer (21) the only players to go deep more than 20 times. Suárez spent seven seasons with the Reds earlier in his career where he emerged as one of baseball's premier power hitters. He hit 155 homers over a five-year span with Cincinnati - the fourth-most in the majors during that time. The move back to Great American Ball Park should benefit Suárez. He owns a career .260/.347/.504 slash line with 101 home runs and a .851 OPS in 461 games at the stadium.
Suárez entered with the second-most homers of any free-agent position player available this winter but his market failed to develop. He reportedly turned down a multi-year deal from the Pirates to return to an organization he's familiar with. Cincinnati was able to capitalize on Suárez's collapsed market, and it's hard to view this deal as anything but a major win for the Reds, especially when looking at Anthony Santander's five-year, $92.5-million contract signed the year prior.
Red Sox, White Sox link up for another trade
What it means for White Sox: Chicago's immediately reinvested the money it unloaded in trading Luis Robert Jr. by adding Seranthony Domínguez, Austin Hays, and now Jordan Hicks over two weeks. The hard-throwing right-hander joins his third organization in six months and now the White Sox will be tasked with trying to get the best out of an incredibly talented arm that's never been able to reach his full potential.
The Giants experimented with Hicks as a starter in 2024 before eventually returning him to the bullpen. The transition back to a reliever was a disaster, as he posted a 6.95 ERA, and 1.66 WHIP, while also producing the worst hard-hit %, strikeout rate, and exit velocity of his career. His role in Chicago is still to be determined, and the organization will hope that a fresh start with a team with lower expectations can help get him back on track.
The White Sox will cover $17 million of the $25 million owed to Hicks. Chicago's willingness to absorb so much money netted them David Sandlin in the deal. The Red Sox' No. 9 prospect, Sandlin is another big arm that's touched 100 mph, but like Hicks, has struggled with his control. The 24-year-old posted a 4.50 ERA, with a 9.1 K/9, and 3.4 BB/9 over 106 innings across Double-A and Triple-A last season. Expect Sandlin to get a shot at cracking Chicago's rotation at some point in 2026, and if he does, paying Hicks' salary - regardless of his performance - will have been worth it.
What it means for the Red Sox: Craig Breslow has now traded two of the four players he received for Rafael Devers. Finding a taker for Hicks felt like a priority this winter after how poorly he performed in Boston, and given his inflated salary. Clearing $17 million off the books is a major win, even if it did cost the club one of its better prospects.
Under Breslow, the organization has done an excellent job building immense pitching depth in the lower levels. They've used that depth to make a number of trades this winter involving seven minor-league arms, while still keeping its top pitching prospects. Now we'll see what the Red Sox plan is with the money they saved, because as productive as the front office has been this offseason, the roster - especially on the position player side - lacks an impact bat.
Eugenio Suárez was the last free-agent available that was a fit for Boston, so Breslow will have to dip back into the trade market if he's to add infield help. Going into the season banking on an infield of Marcelo Mayer, Trevor Story, Romy Gonzalez, David Hamilton, and Willson Contreras is a significant gamble for a team in its competitive window, and puts way too much pressure on young star Roman Anthony to carry the offense.