Padres depth chart makes losing Framber Valdez bidding to Tigers even more painful

The Padres missed out on the exact kind of arm their current depth chart is quietly begging for.

Framber Valdez landing in Detroit on a three-year, $115 million deal makes this sting in a very specific way: the $38+ million AAV lives in the same zip code the Padres have basically been telling everyone they can’t afford all winter. And sure, we can all point and laugh at how awkward it looks for the Tigers to drop that kind of money while they’re simultaneously in a high-drama arbitration fight with Tarik Skubal. But that’s not San Diego’s problem. The Padres’ problem is simpler: they needed a Valdez-caliber stabilizer, and the market just told them what that costs. 

Padres’ frustrating budget ceiling just got exposed by the Framber Valdez deal

When you look at the projected rotation picture right now, it’s hard not to feel the gap. ESPN’s depth chart has the Padres lined up with Michael King, Nick Pivetta, Joe Musgrove, Randy Vásquez, and JP Sears. 

That’s not a “bad” group, but it’s a fragile one. It’s a group that can absolutely piece together good stretches. And also a group where the margin for error is basically nonexistent the second someone tweaks anything in April.

Which is why Vlad Sedler (RotoGut) flat-out said it out loud: “There is no team that needs to sign Framber Valdez more than the San Diego Padres.” 

That’s the cleanest summary of San Diego’s roster math. If you’re already living in a world where you need bounce-backs, health luck, and “just enough” from the back end, the one thing that changes your nightly stress level is adding a guy who reliably eats innings and keeps you out of bullpen panic.

And Valdez is exactly that type. He’s been a workhorse with front-line results for years, including a 13-11, 3.66 ERA, 192 innings, 187 strikeouts line in 2025, and career numbers that paint him as a consistent, ground-ball-heavy problem. 

The painful part isn’t that the Padres didn’t spend $115 million. It’s that their current depth chart makes it obvious why people thought they should try. And why losing that bidding just made the whole rotation feel a little more like a tightrope act than a plan.