Honestly, I thought Justin Verlander had thrown his last pitch for the Astros on July 24, 2020. The odds of the veteran right-hander, who is fresh off from Tommy John surgery rehab, felt low heading into this offseason. I mean, it wasn’t exactly a zero percent chance that a reunion between the two sides would occur, but more indications pointed to a seemingly inevitable departure. James Click’s recent comments about the rotation only cemented those feelings of mine. Needless to say, I had some doubts.
Those reservations were quickly extinguished, though, when the news of Verlander’s return broke.