MLB contract grades: Buster Posey continues to reshape the Giants with Justin Verlander deal

The San Francisco Giants weren't able to re-sign Blake Snell or lure Corbin Burnes to the Bay, but that has not stopped Buster Posey from aggressively pursuing upgrades to the rotation. Now the former All-Star catcher has struck gold, landing Justin Verlander on a one-year contract, per ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Verlander, 41, spent last season with the Houston Astros, a team he won the World Series with twice. It was a challenging campaign for the three-time Cy Young winner and former AL MVP, who got off to a late start due to a shoulder ailment and then dealt with a lingering neck injury that seemed to derail his entire season. The hard-throwing righty was limited to just 17 starts, and he finished with a 5.48 ERA, the worst of his career.

In the end, Verlander wasn't even on the Astros' postseason roster for a Wild Card defeat at the hands of his former team, the Detroit Tigers. Verlander will look to get healthy ahead of spring training and put together a more complete season in 2025. The Giants, who whiffed on the top available aces, will hope the most accomplished free agent left on the market can turn back the clock and uncover some of his old magic.

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Giants sign Justin Verlander to one-year deal after Corbin Burnes whiff

This is an excellent buy-low opportunity for the Giants. Verlander was an All-Star as recently as 2022, when he led MLB with a 1.75 ERA. It's fair to wonder about Verlander's durability at this stage of his career, but one has to think he has enough left in the tank for one more quality season, assuming injuries don't get in the way.

A notorious strikeout machine, Verlander has seen his put-out stuff lose its luster in recent years. He's relying a bit more on finesse than he used to, but a 92nd-percentile hard contact rate last season bodes well for his MLB future, however brief it lasts. In fact, that is probably the only positive indicator from what feels like a lost campaign. Verlander will never achieve the velocity and breakneck nastiness of his prime, but he can still outfox hitters and set up his defense. At least, that is what Posey, Bob Melvin and the Giants' decision-makers are hoping for.

It helps that Verlander is joining a fairly deep rotation. The Giants successfully converted Jordan Hicks to a starter last season and are expecting former Cy Young winner Robbie Ray to be back to full strength in 2025. With Logan Webb topping the rotation as a true workhorse ace, Verlander won't be burdened with astronomic expectations. If he can settle into a solid middle-rotation role and avoid another complete collapse, the Giants will be happy with their investment.

This is a prime opportunity for Verlander to prove skeptics wrong after a disastrous and uncharacteristic 2024 season. Let's see if he has a little bit of that magic left.

Justin Verlander contract grade: B