Max Fried Signed A Contractual Deal With Tigers With An Interesting Caveat Worth At the trade deadline, Justin Verlander might be reunited with a team he once played for for the second consecutive season.
Right-hander Justin Verlander of the Houston Astros is a “prime candidate for trade,” according to a report published on Thursday by Jon Heyman of the New York Post, should the franchise want to sell before the July deadline.
Heyman goes on to say that Verlander might be “amenable” to a deal to the Detroit Tigers despite having a full no-trade clause in his contract.
The 41-year-old Verlander, a three-time Cy Young champion, most notably spent 13 seasons (2005–17) in the Tigers’ organization to start his career. 2011 saw him win his only AL MVP honor in addition to one of his Cy Youngs with Detroit. Verlander was selected to six All-Star teams in total.
After missing the opening few weeks of the season due to a shoulder injury sustained in the spring, Verlander is 2-1 with a 3.38 ERA in his return to form with the Astros this year. However, as a team, Houston is struggling, currently lying fourth in the AL West at an unusual 18-25.
Verlander is in the final season of his contract and is making just over $43 million this year. If the Astros don’t improve, there will be a strong case made to move him.
The Tigers, on the other hand, are in the AL wild-card race at 21-22, with a payroll that ranks in the bottom ten this season, are still led by A.J. Hinch, Verlander’s former.
