MLB insider names new landing spot for Justin Verlander in free agency

Houston Astros right-hander Justin Verlander has a new potential landing spot in free agency.

Though Justin Verlander is expected to leave the Houston Astros in his free agency, a new team has emerged as a potential landing spot for him.

The future Hall of Famer did not play last year due to injury. He was limited to only six innings pitched over the last two seasons with Houston. While he is rapidly approaching 40-years-old, Verlander had been one of the best pitchers in baseball prior to his bad luck with injuries. The New York Yankees may be in line to sign him, but Verlander may land with an AL West team instead.

The Los Angeles Angels are taking some big swings this offseason, as they are in the running to land Verlander in his free agency as well.

Justin Verlander free agency: Why the Angels are an interesting landing spot

Despite having two of the very best players in the game today in Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani, the Angels are desperate to get to the playoffs. Trout has made the postseason once in his first-ballot hall-of-fame career. While Ohtani is the closest approximation to Babe Ruth the baseball world has seen in 100 years, the Angels do not win enough games to be relevant nationally.

But with Perry Minasian in his second year as general manager, he is clearly taking a page out of Alex Anthopoulos’ playbook when he served under him in the Atlanta Braves front office. Minasian is going with the short-term, home-run cut approach to revamp his starting rotation with making the playoffs the goal. If Verlander or Noah Syndergaard can be the Angels’ version of Charlie Morton, they may get there.

A starting rotation featuring Ohtani, Syndergaard and Verlander makes the Angels interesting.