Vaqueros Laguna
On March 14, 2012, Valdez joined the Vaqueros Laguna of the Mexican League. He made 24 appearances and pitched to an 11–8 record, 5.27 ERA, and 84 strikeouts in 135 total innings. In the offseason, he returned to the Águilas del Zulia and later made five relief appearances for the Tigres del Licey of the Dominican Professional Baseball League (LIDOM). In 2013, Valdez returned to the Vaqueros Laguna, making 12 starts and logging a 4.93 ERA before being released on May 30.