Offseason rumors about free agent starting pitcher Justin Verlander were quiet to end 2024, but are now emerging at the start of 2025. According to MLB insider Jon Morosi, Verlander joins Max Scherzer and Clayton Kershaw as active starting pitchers who will likely be future Hall of Famers. All three are free agents looking to find a new home this offseason. Following the end of the 2024 regular season, Verlander talked about how he still wanted to pitch next season and believes he can still provide value pitching into his forties. Verlander is also still physically fit, and the nine-time All-Star will be looking to make a comeback in 2025.
.@jonmorosi shares some insight into Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander and Clayton Kershaw’s outlook heading into 2025 on #MLBNHotStove. https://t.co/79kc3uKJuc pic.twitter.com/1lCwvkQDvg
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) January 4, 2025
Free Agent Starter Justin Verlander Now Drawing More Interest
Morosi talked about Verlander being a possible fit for the Baltimore Orioles on MLB Hot Stove. With the Orioles missing out on re-signing former Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes, they are still looking to fortify their pitching staff. The Orioles did sign 17-year veteran Charlie Morton to a one-year, $15 million deal but it’s unclear if Morton alone will be enough to stabilize their rotation. Aside from the Orioles and the Astros, speculations regarding Verlander have been rather silent. But Verlander will likely be joining a serious contender. The two-time World Series champ will turn 42 on February 20, making him one of the oldest active starters.
Justin Verlander Drawing Interest From “Multiple Teams” https://t.co/inuGXgHCyZ pic.twitter.com/bQrXm3hugi
— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) January 4, 2025
What Verlander Has to Offer
While Verlander’s 2024 numbers were not characteristic of his usual caliber, he can still boost a team’s starting rotation. In 17 starts in 2024, he recorded a 5.48 ERA with a 1.384 WHIP across 90 1/3 innings pitched. His season was impacted by injuries, so he didn’t reach his usual caliber as a starter. Verlander then had some issues with his pitching mechanics after returning from the injured list. But even despite this, Verlander still stands as a quality addition to a team’s starting rotation.
Verlander still showcased some sparks of upside in 2024, such as his commanding fastball that still reached the high 90s. He also has several off-speed pitches he can turn to in order to dominate. He also improved his numbers against one team that he has had trouble with in the past. In his last start of the 2024 regular season facing the Cleveland Guardians, he evened his career record against them at 24-24.
In that start on September 28, Verlander relied heavily on secondary pitches (slider and changeup) to successfully dominate. He threw them at a higher rate compared to all his other starts last season. Verlander also dominated the strike zone with 74% of the 95 pitches thrown as strikes. This was a season-best for him. Verlander’s competitive drive would also make him a great leader on a team’s roster.
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