One of the keys to the Houston Astros winning the World Series in 2017 was undoubtedly the waiver trade with the Detroit Tigers for Justin Verlander. The 36-year-old pitcher will remain with the franchise for the next three seasons after signing a $66 million contract Sunday morning.
“Justin Verlander is one of the elite pitchers in baseball,” Luhnow said. “His late-season arrival in 2017 helped the Astros deliver its first ever championship to the city of Houston. Our fans share in my excitement that Justin will be in an Astros uniform for at least three more years.”
Verlander is coming off of a solid 2018, going 16-9 in the regular season and putting up a respectable 2.52 ERA. He’ll be the starting pitcher on Opening Day for the 11th time in his career and his second with the Astros when they take on the Tampa Bay Rays on March 28th.
-Clint Domingue