Cubs avoided a nightmare scenario Framber Valdez's embarrassing meltdown created for the Tigers

While Framber Valdez was lingering on the free-agent market this past offseason, there was speculation that his market may have fallen to the point where the Chicago Cubs may get involved in his bidding. Even after the trade for Edward Cabrera, the Cubs were searching for pitching depth, but there were clear reasons why Valdez was never going to be a fit in Chicago.

When the Cubs signed Alex Bregman to a five-year deal worth $175 million, it was clear that Jed Hoyer and Co. were in love with the person Bregman was. Sure, the Cubs need Bregman to be the All-Star third baseman he was with the Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox, but they felt comfortable going outside their comfort zone because of the intangibles the veteran third baseman brings behind the scenes.

That wouldn't have been the case with Valdez. During his final year with the Houston Astros, Valdez made headlines for all the wrong reasons. He threw his coaching staff under the bus over defensive alignment, and more notably, intentionally crossed up his own catcher.

As the Cubs research the person behind the player, those are two red flags that likely took Valdez immediately off their radar. Still, given his profile as a pitcher, there was going to be some team that took on that risk. It was the Detroit Tigers, and they may already have regret.

Valdez was on the mound for the Tigers on Tuesday, and things escalated quickly. Red Sox hitters were feasting off Valdez, and during a time when Detroit simply needed the veteran to go out there and eat innings, he plunked Trevor Story. The intent was clear, leading to benches clearing between the Red Sox and Tigers. Valdez is almost certainly going to be suspended, and he may have already lost the respect of his manager.

It's clear why the Cubs wanted no part of Framber Valdez

From a mere roster-construction standpoint, trading for Cabrera instead of signing a veteran pitcher like Valdez made sense for the Cubs. Cabrera is in the early stages of the arbitration process and a pitcher on the ascent, allowing the Cubs to put their financial resources toward Bregman and extending Pete Crow-Armstrong and Nico Hoerner.

Setting that to the side, it's hard to imagine how Valdez would fit in with the Cubs behind the scenes. Given how his final year with the Astros played out and now this incident with the Tigers, those aren't exactly the vibes the Cubs have had this season.

Fortunately, for the Cubs, Valdez is a headache they don't have to deal with.

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