Mets huge Justin Verlander risk won't come back to bite them after all

The New York Mets are off the hook for Justin Verlander, thus making their decision to trade him to the Houston Astros back in 2023 all the better. Verlander was dealt to Houston -- along with a boatload of money -- for then top-100 prospect Drew Gilbert. At the time, it seemed as though the Mets were paying money and an aging pitching for a prospect, which frankly was true.

Verlander has been injured for a good portion of this season, which is why his vesting option will not kick in for next season. JV has been fine when healthy, but didn't make his debut until April 19, and won't reach the 140 required innings for his 2025 guarantee to kick in. It's bad news for Verlander, but beneficial for a Mets team that plans to spend a lot this winter. The option would have paid him $17.5 million this offseason in preparation for the 2025 season. Again -- he is not a New York Met currently.

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New York Mets save a lot of money thanks to Justin Verlander

The good news for the Astros is that Verlander is nearing his return from injury. The money means very little to owner Jim Crane, who stands to make that back and then some on merch sales if Verlander can help lead the Astros to an AL Wild Card spot, or better yet the AL West crown. Houston is tied with the Seattle Mariners atop the division as of this writing.

JV threw upwards of 30 pitches earlier this week. Per the ace himself, he felt great afterward.

“[I] felt good,” Verlander said. “Great step forward. I threw all of my pitches, so all I could ask for.”

That's ideal! The Astros rotation has been unreliable this season in part due to injuries. Verlander, though, offers a solution to that problem. At 41 years old, Verlander's career is winding to a close. His best, last chance at another World Series could very well be right now. He has nothing to lose, even if he'll be about $20 million more poorer.