Justin Verlander, Astros Agree to 1-Year, $25M Contract in 2021 Free Agency

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Justin Verlander is returning to the Houston Astros. 

His brother Ben, who’s an analyst for Fox Sports, confirmed the veteran starting pitcher agreed to a deal with the Astros on Wednesday.

The move comes after he declined a qualifying offer, which would’ve paid him $18.4 million. According to Ben, Justin will make $25 million next season in the new deal, which also includes a player option for 2023:

Verlander, 38, missed the entirety of the 2021 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. That the long-time ace is returning to Houston doesn’t come as much of a surprise, though, after team owner Jim Crane essentially confirmed the team was interested in bringing him back in October:

The eight-time champion, two-time Cy Young Award winner, one-time MVP, one-time champion and future Hall of Famer hadn’t shown too many signs of slowing down before his season-ending surgery, going 21-6 with a 2.58 ERA, 0.80 WHIP and 300 strikeouts in 223 innings. He won the AL Cy Young Award. 

Verlander made just one start in the 2020 season, but he still believes he can compete at a high level. 

“The last season I was healthy, I won the Cy Young,” he told reporters in May. “Anything on top of that is gravy. I definitely think I can get back to the pitcher that I was [in 2019], at the least.”

The Astros, it would appear, agree with him.