The Detroit Tigers have been one of the biggest surprises of the 2024 season, and they are on the verge of making a stunning, last-minute push for the third and final American League Wild Card position. Following Tuesday’s extra-inning victory over the Kansas City Royals, the Tigers are only 1 1/2 games behind the Minnesota Twins in the Wild Card standings.
With a young core and limited money on the payroll, the Tigers might make some big changes this summer. A future Hall of Famer who began his career in Detroit may be one of the guys the Tigers want.
“I could see GM Scott Harris try to sign Justin Verlander to a homecoming, finish-your-career-back-in-Detroit kind of deal,” Feinsand said.
Verlander, who has been dealing with neck difficulties this season, will not reach the 140-inning mark that would activate his $35 million vesting player option for the 2025 season. That means he will most likely enter free agency rather than return to the Houston Astros for his age-42 season.
A guy Verlander’s age is also unlikely to seek for more than a one- or two-year contract. That manner, the Tigers might offer Verlander a competitive short-term deal while prioritizing extending their young stars’ contracts.
Verlander has struggled thus far in 2024, possibly the weakest season in his record 19-year career. Verlander’s record through 15 starts is 4-6, with a 5.20 ERA and 7.3 SO/9. With the way the rest of the Astros rotation has fared, Verlander’s place in a hypothetical postseason rotation is uncertain.
With the Tigers, Verlander is not projected to be a Cy Young candidate. In a rotation led by presumptive AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal and two of baseball’s most promising young pitchers, Reese Olson and Keider Montero, Verlander may return to a more seasoned leadership role and serve as a mentor.
Verlander spent an astounding 12-and-a-half seasons with the Tigers before being traded to the Astros at the trade deadline in 2017. He was voted Rookie of the Year in 2006, Cy Young Award winner and MVP in 2011, and six-time All-Star. Verlander also guided the Tigers to four AL Central championships and a World Series appearance in 2012.
It is apparent that the current Tigers team is talented, but it is lacking a few veterans. Despite being toward the conclusion of his career, Verlander would be a fantastic fit to bring in the next generation of superstars in Detroit.
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