n”,”providerName”:”Twitter”,”providerUrl”:”https://twitter.com”,”type”:”rich”,”width”:550,”__typename”:”ExternalEmbedContent”},”$ROOT_QUERY.getForgeContentBySlug({“locale”:”en-us”,”slug”:”justin-verlander-rumors”,”type”:”story”}).parts.4″:{“data”:{“type”:”id”,”generated”:true,”id”:”$ROOT_QUERY.getForgeContentBySlug({“locale”:”en-us”,”slug”:”justin-verlander-rumors”,”type”:”story”}).parts.4.data”,”typename”:”ExternalEmbedContent”},”type”:”oembed”,”__typename”:”ExternalEmbed”},”$ROOT_QUERY.getForgeContentBySlug({“locale”:”en-us”,”slug”:”justin-verlander-rumors”,”type”:”story”}).parts.5″:{“content”:”Ken Rosenthal linked the Dodgers to Verlander in an article for The Athletic (subscription required) on Monday. nnWhen Verlander became a free agent a year ago, he didn’t take long to return to the Astros on a one-year, $25 million deal that he negotiated personally with owner Jim Crane. Considering the success he’s had in Houston, it wouldn’t have been surprising to see him quickly re-sign with the club again this offseason, but that hasn’t happened yet.nnRosenthal thinks the delay could be because Verlander sees the potential for a lucrative market to develop, with big-market clubs such as the Dodgers, Yankees and Mets involved. nnThe Yankees tried to sign Verlander a year ago, reportedly offering him a one-year, $25 million deal. It’s unclear where the Yanks currently stand on Verlander, but their New York counterparts are reportedly [considering a push for the righty](https://www.mlb.com/news/mets-rumors-latest-trades-and-signings).nnVerlander’s free-agent stock is considerably higher this year after making a healthy return from Tommy John surgery and putting together a season that will likely earn him his third Cy Young Award.nnThe 39-year-old also has the benefit of not having a qualifying offer attached to him, which means he’s not tied to Draft compensation, unlike 2021. The Dodgers, Yankees and Mets all exceeded the Competitive Balance Tax threshold, so signing a QO free agent would cost them their second- and fifth-highest selections in the 2023 Draft as well as $1 million from their international bonus pools.nnFellow free-agent aces Jacob deGrom and Carlos Rodón both have Draft compensation tied to them after declining the QO.”,”type”:”markdown”,”__typename”:”Markdown”},”$ROOT_QUERY.getForgeContentBySlug({“locale”:”en-us”,”slug”:”justin-verlander-rumors”,”type”:”story”}).parts.6″:{“content”:”**Nov. 11: Will an AL West foe snatch Verlander?** nWhile the World Series champion Astros will try to re-sign Verlander after he opted out of his contract, MLB Network’s Jon Morosi points out that this is the potential future Hall of Famer’s first shot at free agency coming off a full, healthy season. And while he is 39 years old, the right-hander is a strong contender to win his third Cy Young Award, which means he should have no shortage of suitors.nn“It’s going to be a really interesting negotiation for a pitcher right now who seems ageless and is in no way, shape or form close to retirement,” Morosi said during an appearance Friday on MLB Network’s High Heat.”,”type”:”markdown”,”__typename”:”Markdown”},”$ROOT_QUERY.getForgeContentBySlug({“locale”:”en-us”,”slug”:”justin-verlander-rumors”,”type”:”story”}).parts.7.data”:{“html”:”
5:09 AM UTC
MLB.com is keeping track of all the latest news and rumors surrounding right-hander Justin Verlander, who is a free agent after declining his $25 million player option with the Astros for 2023.
Read all about Verlander here.
Nov. 19: Mets considering Verlander as deGrom backup plan (report)
Where will the Mets turn if they aren’t able to re-sign two-time NL Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom? According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, the club is considering AL Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander.
Although the Mets believe deGrom prefers to remain with the only Major League organization he’s known to this point, Verlander appears to be a backup plan for New York as the club seeks to maintain another frontline starter to pair with Max Scherzer.
Verlander continues to defy time, winning his third career Cy Young Award in 2022, his age-39 season, when he posted an MLB-best 1.75 ERA and helped the Astros win their second World Series title.
Nov. 15: Dodgers more likely for JV after Anderson’s departure?
The chances of the Dodgers pursuing Verlander seemingly just went up. Los Angeles has multiple rotation spots to fill, and the club now knows that Tyler Anderson won’t be back. Anderson declined the team’s qualifying offer Tuesday and reportedly agreed to a three-year deal with the Angels.
Ken Rosenthal linked the Dodgers to Verlander in an article for The Athletic (subscription required) on Monday.
When Verlander became a free agent a year ago, he didn’t take long to return to the Astros on a one-year, $25 million deal that he negotiated personally with owner Jim Crane. Considering the success he’s had in Houston, it wouldn’t have been surprising to see him quickly re-sign with the club again this offseason, but that hasn’t happened yet.
Rosenthal thinks the delay could be because Verlander sees the potential for a lucrative market to develop, with big-market clubs such as the Dodgers, Yankees and Mets involved.
The Yankees tried to sign Verlander a year ago, reportedly offering him a one-year, $25 million deal. It’s unclear where the Yanks currently stand on Verlander, but their New York counterparts are reportedly considering a push for the righty.
Verlander’s free-agent stock is considerably higher this year after making a healthy return from Tommy John surgery and putting together a season that will likely earn him his third Cy Young Award.
The 39-year-old also has the benefit of not having a qualifying offer attached to him, which means he’s not tied to Draft compensation, unlike 2021. The Dodgers, Yankees and Mets all exceeded the Competitive Balance Tax threshold, so signing a QO free agent would cost them their second- and fifth-highest selections in the 2023 Draft as well as $1 million from their international bonus pools.
Fellow free-agent aces Jacob deGrom and Carlos Rodón both have Draft compensation tied to them after declining the QO.
Nov. 11: Will an AL West foe snatch Verlander?
While the World Series champion Astros will try to re-sign Verlander after he opted out of his contract, MLB Network’s Jon Morosi points out that this is the potential future Hall of Famer’s first shot at free agency coming off a full, healthy season. And while he is 39 years old, the right-hander is a strong contender to win his third Cy Young Award, which means he should have no shortage of suitors.
“It’s going to be a really interesting negotiation for a pitcher right now who seems ageless and is in no way, shape or form close to retirement,” Morosi said during an appearance Friday on MLB Network’s High Heat.
Morosi points out that the Braves and Yankees were two clubs who showed strong interest in Verlander a year ago — despite the fact that he was coming back from Tommy John surgery at the time. Those teams figure to give Verlander a serious look again, but a couple of the Astros’ AL West counterparts could be factors as well.
One of those clubs is the Rangers, who Morosi notes are expected to pursue nearly every major free agent starter, including Jacob deGrom. But Morosi identifies the Angels as the team to watch. If the Halos truly are intent on not trading Shohei Ohtani — as GM Perry Minasian said recently — then it would make sense for the club to bolster his supporting cast, especially with Ohtani’s presence necessitating a six-man rotation.
“I think the Angels are a really intriguing landing spot for JV,” Morosi said. “Think about that constellation of stars they would have there — Verlander, Ohtani, (Mike) Trout, (Anthony) Rendon.”
Nov. 10: Will Astros re-sign Verlander again?
Verlander is a free agent for the second straight offseason after declining his $25 million player option for 2023.
Astros owner Jim Crane said the club is trying to re-sign Verlander and has been in touch with the 39-year-old about a new contract.
When Verlander hit the open market last year, the Astros re-signed him for $25 million in 2022. But it’s likely going to take a much larger deal this time. Verlander was coming off Tommy John surgery in 2021, but he returned to the mound in 2022 and turned in a season that will likely earn him his third Cy Young Award.
Nov. 4: Can Yanks sign longtime nemesis?
Verlander has been a thorn in the Yankees’ side since his rookie season in 2006. Whether it’s been with the Tigers or the Astros, Verlander has faced the Yankees nine times in the postseason. He’s 5-1 with a 2.68 ERA and 68 strikeouts over 58 1/3 innings in those outings, and his teams are 6-0 in postseason series against New York.
The Yankees could have traded for the right-hander in 2017, but ownership was said to be unwilling to take on Verlander’s contract. The Astros were, and they swung a deal for the veteran that changed the course of history.
New York was interested in signing Verlander when he reached free agency last offseason, reportedly offering him $25 million on a one-year deal. But Verlander ended up re-signing with the Astros for the same contract, plus a $25 million vesting option for 2023. That turned into a player option when Verlander reached 130 innings in 2022.
With Verlander likely to decline his option, the Yankees will have yet another chance to sign the 39-year-old. Writing for the New York Post, MLB Network insider Jon Heyman expects the Bronx Bombers to make a run at him this offseason, with the Dodgers also in the mix if he doesn’t re-sign with Houston again.
That said, Verlander will be pricier this time. A year ago, he was coming off Tommy John surgery and had made just one start across the previous two seasons. After making a healthy return and putting together a season that could win him his third Cy Young Award, Verlander is expected to command a lucrative multiyear deal. The “outside expert” Heyman consulted for his story predicted a two-year, $75 million contract.
Oct. 5: Could Scherzer’s deal be a target for JV?
After making a successful return from Tommy John surgery at the age of 39, Verlander is all but guaranteed to become a free agent for the second straight offseason.
The right-hander has a $25 million player option with the Astros for 2023, but after leading the Majors with a 1.75 ERA over 175 innings — thus becoming the second-oldest MLB ERA leader after a 42-year-old Roger Clemens in 2005 — Verlander is likely to decline the option to seek a longer deal.
The three-year, $130 million contract Max Scherzer signed with the Mets in 2021 could be a framework for the type of contract Verlander will look for after 2022. Scherzer was 37 when he signed the deal, which includes an opt-out after two years.
Verlander’s free-agent stock is much improved compared to last offseason, and not only because he has reaffirmed his ace stature and proven his health. Verlander also won’t have any Draft-pick compensation attached to him this time, as he’s ineligible to receive a qualifying offer after Houston made him a QO a year ago.