Earlier tonight, it was reported that the Houston Astros failed to acquire Justin Verlander from the Detroit Tigers after several sources stated he had initially denied to waive his no-trade clause. After information was cleared up by Jon Heyman and Ken Rosenthal, Justin is indeed on his way to Houston, along with a reported $10 million in cash. The Astros are sending top prospects Franklin Perez, Daz Cameron, and Jake Rogers to Detroit to complete the trade. While the Astros did not need Verlander in their rotation, he adds considerable talent and experience to an already-stack pitching staff.
Verlander to #Astros, source confirms to The Athletic. @anthonyfenech first. Perez, Cameron and Rodgers to #Tigers, per @JonHeyman.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) September 1, 2017
Astros Acquire Verlander After Initial Confusion
Verlander, who has played his entire career in Detroit after being drafted by the Tigers in 2004, has already pitched his way to a 10-8 record with a 3.82 ERA through 28 starts. The 34-year-old, while not having an All-Star caliber season, has pitched incredibly well this season while battling several small injuries that have threatened to put him on the DL multiple times. He is not eligible to become a free agent until 2020, giving the Astros a good amount of time to keep him under club control.
Meanwhile, the Tigers are getting three of the Astros top-15 prospects in order to help rebuild a struggling farm system. Cameron, a 20-year-old utility outfielder, has spent the last three seasons in Low-A ball after being drafted by Houston in the 2015 draft. While his .255 career batting average isn’t a stand-out, his fielding ability is his key value to a ballclub. Perez has been impressive with High-A Buies Creek, amassing a 4-2 record with a 2.98 ERA after 12 games this season. Rogers, while having a similar .256 batting average as Cameron, adds crucial depth to both the catcher and DH positions, having spent equal time in both positions this season between Low and High-A affiliates Quad Cities and Buies Creek.
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