Ben Verlander broke the news Wednesday afternoon that his brother Justin Verlander would be returning to the Houston Astros on a one year deal. The deal is worth $25 million and it has a player option for 2023. The two-time Cy Young award winner missed all of 2021 recovering from Tommy John surgery. Verlander had declined the qualifying offer before Wednesday’s deadline, but Houston and the veteran came together on a deal shortly after.
The last time Verlander took the mound in a Major League game was Opening Day in 2020. An elbow injury that eventually led to surgery ended his 2020 season and held him out for all of 2021. The age factor may give some pause as Verlander turns 39 in February. However, the Astros trust that he is healthy once again. It also helps that he won his second Cy Young award in his last full season in 2019.
Extending an Already Incredible Career
One of Verlander’s idols is Hall-of-Famer Nolan Ryan. Verlander has stated before that he wants to have longevity in his career similar to Ryan. In fact, he has said he wants to pitch to age 45. One thing that is basically a done-deal is that Verlander will one day join Ryan in Cooperstown shortly after his playing days are over. Everything he does from this point on will just be the cherry on top of an incredible career.
Verlander is an eight-time All Star over 16 seasons. He is a former Rookie of the Year, multiple-time Cy Young winner, and he even has an MVP award under his belt. His record over the course of his legendary career is 226-129. He’s pitched 2,988 innings, striking out 3,013 batters; the 19th most all time. Through all of those innings, he has posted a 3.33 career ERA.
Verlander already has made a number of unforgettable moments for the Astros franchise. He was the 2017 ALCS MVP and he helped the team win the World Series Championship that same year. Verlander now has the opportunity to make even more legendary moments with the Astros.
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