MLB rumors: Could Houston Astros really pass on the Justin Verlander sweepstakes?

While there are plenty of MLB rumors out there about Justin Verlander potentially reuniting with the Houston Astros, it may not be on Houston’s priority list.

There are plenty of rumors out there connecting Verlander and the Astros, the franchise where he spent the last five seasons before signing a big contract with the New York Mets. However, if the three-time Cy Young Award winner is really planning to join Max Scherzer as big-ticket acquisitions by the Mets who won’t be with the team after August 1, Houston general manager Dana Brown is throwing cold water on any kind of Verlander homecoming in south Texas.

MLB rumors: Houston Astros may not be in pursuit of Justin Verlander

Those are interesting words, especially when it comes to Verlander, who would seemingly be a natural fit to reunite with his former Astros teammates in pursuit of a second consecutive World Series win. However, if Brown is looking to improve the back end of the bullpen more than the front end of the rotation, Verlander and his two-year/$86.67 million deal simply may not make sense.

If Verlander is dealt and if Houston isn’t in the mix, that is good news for teams like the San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers and Baltimore Orioles, all teams that have now been exposed by MLB insiders as potential landing spots for Verlander. Jon Heyman even teased a “mystery team” that was in on talks with the Mets, and that mystery team was the Padres. Could a Southern California battle for Verlander be brewing?

While it isn’t known at the time of this writing if the Mets will even deal Verlander or if Brown’s comments are simply a smoke screen with something working behind the scenes, you can expect there to be plenty of interest for teams to bring Verlander on board if the price is right.