Justin Verlander Reunites with Tigers for Age-43 Season
Justin Verlander has warded off Father Time for much longer than most professional athletes, and he’s got a shot to stay ahead of the old man for at least one more season. The venerable righty, who will turn 43 on February 20, has re-signed with the Tigers on a one-year deal that guarantees him $13 million. Only $2 million of that is due this season, with the other $11 million being deferred for an undisclosed duration starting in 2030.
Verlander was drafted second overall by Detroit out of Old Dominion in 2004, then debuted the following season with two starts in July. He went on to pitch parts of 13 seasons for the Tigers before a last-second trade sent him to Houston in 2017. The Cubs were in the hunt for him as well and Jed Hoyer expressed regret over failing to consummate a deal, especially after Verlander went on to win two Cy Young Awards with the Astros.
He signed a two-year, $86.67 million deal with the Mets in 2023, but lasted only half a season before being traded back to the Astros. Then came a one-year deal with the Giants in which he put up a 3.85 ERA over 152 innings. Even though his velocity was down slightly in ’25, Verlander’s 94 mph average fastball was harder than most Cubs starters.
What I always forget when checking his stats is that he was never a crazy hard thrower. He could run it up there, no doubt, but his fastball never averaged higher than 95.6 mph. That’s pretty tame by today’s standards. What’s not tame is continuing to pitch at a high level well into his 40s, and Verlander has offered no indication that this will be his last year. He may keep going until he reaches 300 wins, though racking up another 34 of them could take at least three more years.
That would put him in Rich Hill territory, only with a need to be far more productive than the former Cubs great. The man known affectionately as Dick Mountain made just six appearances for the Red Sox and Royals over the last two seasons, going 0-3 with just under a 5.00 ERA. I have long rooted for Hill, and I’m doing the same for Verlander.
I mean, how can you not admire this dude’s grind? He has made over $400 million playing baseball and could have easily hung it up years ago rather than undergoing arduous rehab for a number of different injuries. Not to mention he’s got two kids and a supermodel wife at home. Most folks would be way too content with all of that to put in the work it takes to stay effective after such a long career.
The fact that Verlander still loves the game enough to commit himself to it at his age is incredible to me. Here’s to at least one more strong season from him.
