Justin Verlander has until 5 p.m. ET on Wednesday to decide on the Houston Astros’ one-year, $18.4 million qualifying offer, and he has a big decision to make.
The two-time Cy Young Award winner, understandably, is a coveted pitcher on the free agent market despite missing the 2021 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Verlander, 38, recently held a workout that saw more than half of Major League Baseball’s teams show up.
There have been reports that a return to Houston may be “uncomfortable” for Verlander because he wasn’t around the Astros at all during the 2021 season despite not pitching, but there are plenty of other suitors who probably will make a run for his services.
Among those? The New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays “and many others,” according to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman.
Heyman also reported Verlander could have a decision “fairly soon,” and that he has “multiyear and one-year options” on the table.
It certainly will be interesting to see what kind of contract Verlander ends up getting, especially coming off major surgery, turning 39 in February and a potential work stoppage looming.
Which team will come out the winner of the Verlander sweepstakes? We’ll find out soon enough.
