As his illustrious career trickled down, Justin Verlander joined the Mets to compete for a World Series, but the reality has been far from that. After early season struggles, Verlander has regained his form over his last six starts with a 1.46 and has been floated in trade discussions as the trade deadline nears.
Armed with a no-trade clause, Verlander controls his destiny, but here are five potential landing spots if Verlander chooses to leave Queens.
Top 12 Position Players Potentially Available For Trade
- Texas Rangers
The Rangers have lost their lucrative arm in Jacob deGrom due to injury, but the rest of the rotation has managed. Nathan Eovaldi has emerged, along with solid contributions from Jon Gray and Dane Dunning. Sitting first in the AL East, the Houston Astros are on their tail. They can’t afford to be complacent at the trade deadline. They can afford Justin Verlander’s contract, and he would likely be open to waiving his no-trade clause to return to the Lone Star state.
AL West Odds Update: Rangers Continue to Lead Astros
- Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles was interested in Verlander this past offseason, so it would make sense for them to explore what it would take to bring the reigning AL Cy Young champ to Hollywood. They’ll have no issue affording him, and there shouldn’t be a worry about Verlander not being willing to waive his trade clause to go to Southern California. The Dodgers are trying to catch the Braves in the NL, so adding Verlander to a rotation that has dealt with regression and injuries would be a significant addition.
NL Odds Power Rankings: Braves Lead, Dodgers Close Gap
- San Francisco Giants
The Giants are trying to stay afloat in the NL Wild Card hunt, and MLB Network’s Jon Morosi has reported that they are looking to acquire Verlander should he be willing to waive his no-trade clause. Logan Webb and Alex Cobb lead San Francisco’s rotation, but the rest are expendable after those two. Pairing Verlander with those two would give the Giants a legitimate pitching trio that could compete with anybody in the postseason. The Giants have been star-hunting for a while now, and Verlander would certainly fit that mold.
- Houston Astros
Verlander’s return to the Astros would be epic. Since departing Houston after winning the World Series last season for a big payday in Queens, MLB.com has linked the Astros to Verlander’s services should he be dealt this deadline. The Astros didn’t replace Verlander; they just elevated other guys up in the rotation. Framber Valdez has served well as the ace, but reuniting him with Verlander would give the Astros as good a chance as anyone to win it all.
Houston Astros Futures Odds: World Series, AL West, AL Pennant
- Cincinnati Reds
There must always be a sleeper, which looks like the Reds in these potential sweepstakes. Will Verlander waive his no-trade clause to move to Cincy? Probably not, but possible. However, the Reds can’t be a complacent small-market team forever. The Reds have the farm system to make the deal work, a motivated and aggressive GM, and a massive need for pitching. Bringing Verlander to mentor the young arms guys would make sense and allow him to pitch in October.
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