The Yankees face a tough rival in their attempt to close the signing of Framber Valdez

The MLB market is red hot and as time goes by, teams are beginning to get desperate to have the big names available. While the Yankees already had things in place to sign Framber Valdez, a team that was hurt by what happened in the last World Series is looking to snatch the player from New York.

This is the Blue Jays, who despite losing the World Series to the Dodgers, are looking to renew themselves and seek to achieve the goal next season. For them, it is important to renew the squad and Valdez’s name is of great interest to the team.

The Blue Jays go for Framber Valdez

After coming just two outs away from glory in last year’s World Series, the Blue Jays have taken an aggressive stance this postseason. According to reports from Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman of The Post, the Canadian team has expressed formal interest in Valdez, looking to consolidate an already impressive rotation.

Toronto has spared no expense this winter, having already signed the following players:

• Dylan Cease: The right-hander joined on a seven-year, $210 million contract.
• Cody Ponce: The KBO MVP arrives for three years and $30 million.
• Tyler Rogers: The reliever bolstered the bullpen for $37 million.

With the arrival of these players, the Blue Jays are demonstrating that despite not winning the World Series, they will go all out again to try to repeat the campaign, but this time, to take the coveted trophy home, and for that, they need new faces.

Framber Valdez, the most coveted player

At 32 years of age, Valdez is considered the best starting pitcher available on the current market. His credentials justify the bidding war:

• He averaged more than 191 innings per year over the last four seasons with Houston.
• In 2025, he posted a 3.66 ERA and 1.245 WHIP in 192 innings.
• His former teammate Martin Maldonado described him as a tireless worker ready to pitch every four days if needed.

Any team that decides to take the final step to sign Valdez must take one regulatory factor into account: the Dominican rejected a qualifying offer from the Astros. This means that the team that signs him will have to sacrifice 2026 draft picks as compensation, a price both the Yankees and Blue Jays seem willing to pay.