In a latest look on ESPN’s Baseball Tonight podcast, Astros GM Dana Brown mentioned the membership had been involved with free agent right-hander Justin Verlander a couple of doable reunion. “We’ve had conversations together with his agent [ISE’s Mark Pieper] simply to attempt to really feel him out. I don’t know if there’s been loads of progress, however we’re having conversations,” Brown mentioned.
Unsurprisingly, it doesn’t sound like both facet is kind of able to make a transfer this comparatively early within the offseason. As Brown famous earlier within the podcast, the Astros’ high precedence in the mean time is attempting to re-sign Alex Bregman. That prime-profile pursuit is taking a lot of the group’s focus, even when Brown famous that the membership is doing its due diligence on different potential strikes (corresponding to discovering one other third baseman) as nicely.
“If [Verlander] continues to work and he’s wholesome, it’s going to be attention-grabbing to see the place he goes and the way a lot he will get. However I’m certain there will probably be a bunch of groups calling the agent,” Brown mentioned. That is maybe studying an excessive amount of into wording, however Brown’s phrasing nearly appeared to suggest extra of an arm’s size method, as if the Astros have been extra curious spectators to Verlander’s market than lively individuals.
Verlander turns 42 in February, however he made it clear following the season that he needed to return in 2025, and rebound from an injury-marred 2024 marketing campaign. The precise-hander was restricted to 90 1/3 innings because of a pair of injured-list stints prompted by shoulder harm after which neck discomfort. The latter harm was significantly troublesome, as Verlander missed about 2.5 months due his neck challenge and didn’t pitch nicely after he returned, leaving him feeling like he most likely tried to return again too rapidly. The tip consequence was a 5.48 ERA, the best of Verlander’s profession other than the 7.11 ERA he posted over an 11 1/3-inning pattern dimension in his very first Main League season in 2005.
It was simply two seasons in the past that Verlander received his third AL Cy Younger Award, and in 2023, Verlander was nonetheless stable with a 3.22 ERA over 162 1/3 innings with the Mets and Astros. A case can actually be made that Verlander has extra to contribute if wholesome, and the righty has already defied Father Time as soon as by delivering that final Cy Younger campaigns after a Tommy John surgical procedure price him nearly the entire 2020-21 seasons.
That mentioned, no one could be shocked if age and accidents merely caught as much as Verlander, and 2023 was actually his final hurrah as a productive beginning pitcher. As Brown famous, Verlander’s observe document alone will result in curiosity from a number of groups, however is comprehensible if the Astros have been prepared to maneuver on somewhat than threat being left holding the bag if Verlander declined additional.
Framber Valdez, Hunter Brown, Ronel Blanco, and Spencer Arrighetti are lined up as the highest 4 of Houston’s rotation, and the in-house candidates for the fifth starter’s position all include large health-related query marks. Lance McCullers Jr. has missed the final two seasons because of accidents, Luis Garcia hasn’t pitched since Could 2023 because of a Tommy John surgical procedure and a few setbacks, J.P. France missed most of 2024 because of shoulder surgical procedure, and Cristian Javier had a TJ surgical procedure final June and isn’t assured to pitch in any respect in 2025. Including a dependable veteran arm to the combination actually is sensible for Houston, although Verlander may not match the invoice given his personal well being standing.