When news of Justin Verlander’s recent showcase started to stir, there was a fair bit of enthusiasm from Tigers fans regarding a potential reunion between Verlander and the Tigers. In a lot of ways it would have made sense for Verlander to return to Detroit: it would be a boon to merchandise sales and likely create at least an initial boost to ticket sales. Plus, there’s something poetic about the notion of JV’s career ending where it began.
Those dreams are going to have to wait, however, as speculation came to an end this week. Verlander signed a new one-year deal with the Houston Astros worth $25 million (which I’m frankly glad the Tigers didn’t pay), and a player option for a second year.