The Houston Astros headed into this offseason with a lot of tough decisions when it comes to keeping players. One player that the Astros front office wanted to keep around was Justin Verlander.
That became official on Wednesday afternoon with the two parties agreeing to a one-year $25 million contract that also includes a second-year player option.
The 2019 AL Cy Young winner only made one start during the shortened 2020 season before undergoing Tommy John surgery in September of last year, causing him to miss the rest of that season as well as all of the 2021 season.
The 38-year-old Verlander rejected the Astros’ $18.4 million qualifying offer before agreeing to the contract with Houston. According to general manager James Click, Verlander held a showcase with 20 teams earlier this month and looked sharp on the mound.