Justin Verlander is headed back to Houston.
The New York Mets on Tuesday afternoon traded the veteran right-hander to the Houston Astros, as first reported by USA Today’s Bob Nightengale and confirmed by The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
According to Nightengale, Houston is sending prospect Drew Gilbert and minor league outfielder Ryan Clifford to New York. Gilbert is ranked No. 68 on MLB.com’s top 100 prospects.
Verlander previously played five seasons in Houston, racking up a pair of Cy Young awards and winning a World Series. He signed with the Mets this offseason and went on to record a 3.15 ERA in 16 starts.
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The Mets also traded Max Scherzer to the Texas Rangers as part of a full-fledged roster overhaul.
It was reported that Houston was Verlander’s preferred landing spot prior to the trade. The Astros are just a half game back of the Texas Rangers in the American League West and hold the second wild-card spot ahead of Tuesday’s slate.
The MLB trade deadline is at 6 p.m. ET.
Featured image via Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports Images
