The Houston Astros enter MLB games today with one of the worst records in baseball, far underperforming in comparison to expectations entering the year. As the woes have rolled into May, starting pitcher Justin Verlander has popped up in MLB trade rumors.
Verlander has already relocated twice within the past 18 months. When Houston didn’t meet his asking price in MLB free agency, he signed a two-year, $86.7 million contract with the New York Mets. Months later, with the Mets out of the playoff hunt, Verlander was dealt back to the Houston Astros on Aug. 1, 2023 in exchange for Drew Gilbert and Ryan Clifford.
- Justin Verlander stats: 2.08 ERA, 1.15 WHIP in 17.1 innings pitched
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While the Astros couldn’t win a third World Series with the three-time AL Cy Young Award winner, Verlander was back home in Houston with the hopes of competing for another title in his age-41 season. Instead, the team sits near the bottom of the MLB standings in early May leaving some to wonder if there will be a firesale in Houston.
Addressing the matter, Bob Nightengale of USA Today wrote that “it’s time to stop the speculation’ regarding whether or not the Astros would consider trading Verlander if they are out of the MLB playoff picture. Verlander holds a no-trade clause and loves playing in Houston.
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- Justin Verlander contract: $43.333 million salary in 2024, $35 million salary in 2024
The full no-trade clause is particularly notable because Verlander used it last season. According to Nightengale, the Mets were engaged in deep negotiations on deals to move Verlander to the Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays. However, in each case, Verlander made it clear he would only approve a trade to the Astros.
So, barring the Astros’ front office fully committing to retooling the roster and then convincing the future Hall of Famer to approve a trade to another club, Verlander seems poised to finish the 2024 season in Houston.
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