Framber Valdez is somehow still available in February, and the Blue Jays are reportedly looking to drop one final nuclear bomb on the American League East.
Just when we thought the rotation was set in stone with the massive addition of Dylan Cease, insiders are suggesting otherwise.
According to Jon Heyman, Ross Atkins is still kicking the tires on the 32-year-old lefty to round out the staff.
It sounds absolutely greedy, and I love every second of it.
Per Jon Heyman, the #BlueJays have interest in LHP Framber Valdez
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This team already has Kevin Gausman, Cody Ponce, Shane Bieber, and Cease locked in.
Adding Valdez—who posted a 3.66 ERA and ate 192 innings last season—would turn the rotation into an absolute gauntlet.
He isn't perfect; his second-half slide last year (5.20 ERA in final 12 starts) scared off some suitors.
But we are talking about a guy who generates ground balls in his sleep and has a World Series ring on his finger.
A move designed to suffocate the Baltimore Orioles
As a fan, this feels less about "need" and more about "power."
The Orioles have been circling Valdez all winter, and swooping in to steal him would be a delicious double-victory.
We don't need him to be the ace anymore; we just need him to be the scariest No. 4 starter in baseball history.
He threw 187 strikeouts last year and refused to miss starts.
In a division where bullpens get shredded by June, having a guy who consistently goes seven innings is invaluable.
The cost would be high—likely another draft pick and a hefty tax bill—but the window to win is right now.
If you have the chance to build a rotation that makes opposing managers weep, you do it.
Let's get greedy.
Is a six-man rotation with Framber Valdez the secret to keeping the pitching staff healthy?
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