UPDATE (5:50 p.m. ET): Justin Verlander reportedly will be re-signing with the Houston Astros on a one-year, $25 million deal.
ORIGINAL STORY (5:39 p.m. ET): Where will Justin Verlander pitch next?
There have been rumors building up for weeks that the 38-year-old could move on from the Houston Astros in free agency, and there have been talks about his preferred geological location to play.
All of these rumors assumed that Verlander actually would enter free agency, and after declining his $18.4 million qualifying offer of Houston on Wednesday there isn’t a question any more.
The two-time Cy Young Award winner only has made one appearance over the last two seasons while recovering from Tommy John surgery but recently held a showcase for teams. There reportedly is plenty of interest in the 2011 America League Most Valuable Player.
One team that reportedly has shown interest in the ace is the Boston Red Sox. With Chris Sale, Nathan Eovaldi and Nick Pivetta essentially locks for the starting rotation in 2022, the team still is looking to fill it out, especially with Eduardo RodrÃguez signing with the Detroit Tigers.
Spotrac currently doesn’t have a market value set for Verlander, but one can reasonably expect the price tag for a pitcher of Verlander’s quality won’t be cheap, even with the injury history.
