Revisionist History: 3 teams that should’ve signed Justin Verlander

The Houston Astros signed Justin Verlander to a two-year, $50 million contract last offseason, but it wasn’t without some level of competition. What are those general managers thinking now?

Houston signed Verlander to a one-year, prove it deal, and it has paid off big time. The high AAV for a 39-year-old pitcher was too much to pass up, especially for Verlander coming off Tommy John surgery.

Verlander’s eventual decision to stay in Houston was announced by his brother Ben, of all people, ending a brief flirtation with the rest of baseball.

This year has arguably been Verlander’s best, and he’s well on his way to another AL Cy Young award and perhaps a World Series to boot.

Justin Verlander rumors: Yankees were in, but missed

New York made an appearance at Verlander’s showcase last offseason, but ultimately whiffed on him in free agency. They were considered one of the top-3 suitors.

Per Jon Heyman, Brian Cashman and Co. offered Verlander a one-year, $25 million deal. It was Houston’s second-year player option which gave them the advantage in said market.

Could the Yankees have used Verlander this season? Sure, every club could. But it was impossible to see this sort of rebound coming, and there’s a good chance they’ll be in on JV again should he opt out of that Astros deal this offseason.

Justin Verlander rumors: Tigers reunion failed

A Justin Verlander reunion in MoTown had been floated by some in the industry last offseason, but in the end the Tigers spent the majority of their money on shortstop Javier Baez instead. Pitching, as it turns out, was an area Detroit could’ve used an improvement in.

Thankfully Verlander did not choose to sign with Detroit, if only because they’re a few years away from postseason contention. The Tigers took a solid step back in 2022, and JV would’ve wasted one of the best individual seasons of his career.

Justin Verlander rumors: Dodgers didn’t spend

Los Angeles was never a serious threat for Verlander, if only because pitching wasn’t a serious area of need for them. However, when the Dodgers lost Max Scherzer, they could’ve used another veteran near the top of the rotation to take his place.

Looking back, LA surely could’ve afforded Verlander, even on a two-year deal. They stuck with Clayton Kershaw and crew, only to fall short of their ultimate World Series goal.