Justin Verlander Reveals Astros Never Offered Him a Contract This Offseason

Will the Houston Astros regret not making an offer to a future Hall of Famer?

Sep 20, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander (35) motions to the crowd while walking to the dugout after a pitching change in the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Minute Maid Park | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

After a wild offseason, the Houston Astros are off to a nice start this campaign. 

There was no team in baseball that was as busy as the Astros, and after their early elimination from the playoffs for the first time in seven years, the team really shook things up. 

While some of the more notable departures were Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman, Houston also saw future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander leave in free agency. 

It was a down season for the right-hander in 2024. He battled a neck injury for much of the campaign which resulted in poor production. 

Due to his age, there was reason to believe that it could have been father time coming for the 42-year-old. However, he looked sharp this spring and had a good start to the season for the San Francisco Giants. 

Even though he has had a ton of success and great moments in his two stints with Houston, he was surprisingly never offered a contract. 

Justin Verlander said today he spoke with Astros owner Jim Crane “a lot” in the offseason and that there was “mutual interest” in a reunion with the Astros. When the Giants came after Verlander, Crane said the Astros “were not even in a place to make an offer,” Verlander said

— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) March 31, 2025

With the Astros being in what felt like a permanent state of flux this winter, it’s easy to understand why they didn’t prioritize the veteran right-hander coming off the performance he had.

The franchise seemed very focused on decreasing their payroll this winter, especially when looking at the decisions to trade Ryan Pressly and Kyle Tucker. 

Even though Verlander had a poor season with Houston, he still received a one-year, $15 million deal from the Giants. 

Considering the Astros’ rotation is in pretty good shape with some pitchers hopefully returning later in the year, spending that kind of money on the future Hall of Famer was not something they were willing to do. 

But, depending on how well he does in San Francisco, Houston might come to regret that decision.