A new report from a prominent MLB insider suggests that the Baltimore Orioles and Los Angeles Dodgers would be serious contenders for a future Hall-of-Fame pitcher who could be on the trade block in July.
Heading into the MLB games today both the Orioles and Dodgers are among the best teams in the league. They are both at the top of their respective divisions and living up to the hype they had entering the 2024 season. And for teams like them that are World Series contenders, you can never have enough talent.
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Both have good starting rotations, but come playoff time teams can always use more front-line pitching and there could be several impact arms available. One player who has seen his name thrown around in trade speculation recently is two-time World Series champion, Justin Verlander.
- Justin Verlander stats (2024): 1-1 record, 4.43 ERA, 1.388 WHIP, 15 strikeouts, 10 walks, 22.1 innings pitched
The nine-time All-Star is off to a rocky start this season, but so are the 14-24 Houston Astros and they could surprisingly be in sell mode if they can’t recover and get back in the race of a stacked American League West. If the ‘Stros did choose to move the 41-year-old legend before the July 30 MLB trade deadline, New York Post league insider Jon Heyman believes two particular teams would be favorites.
“[Verlander] has full no trade, but the guess is he might accept L.A. or (close to hometown) Baltimore,” Heyman wrote this week.
- Justin Verlander contract: Two years, $86 million (Vested option of $17 million in 2025)
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While he did not explicitly mention the Dodgers, let’s be real, he is not accepting a trade to the Angels at this point in his career. The Orioles would be the favorites in a potential trade since they have one of the best farm systems in the league and would certainly have assets that would appeal to the Astros.