Justin Verlander Returns to Tigers on One-Year Deal

Verlander spent the first 13 seasons of his career in Detroit.

Justin Verlander has signed a one-year deal to return to the Detroit Tigers. | Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Justin Verlander is returning to the Tigers.

On Tuesday, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that the 42-year-old righty has agreed to a one-year deal that will bring him back to the franchise where he started his career. The Tigers selected Verlander with the second pick in the 2004 MLB draft and he spent 13 years in Detroit, becoming one of baseball’s best pitchers.

During his 13 years with the franchise, Verlander went 183–114 with a 3.49 ERA, a 1.19 WHIP and 2,373 strikeouts in 2,511 innings. In that time, he was a six-time All-Star, threw two no-hitters, and, in 2011, he had one of the best seasons by a pitcher in the last 20 years. That season, Verlander went 24–5 with a 2.40 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 250 strikeouts in 251 innings. He won the pitching Triple Crown and the first of his three Cy Young awards.

On August 31, 2017, the Tigers shipped Verlander to the Astros in exchange for prospects Franklin Pérez, Jake Rogers, and Daz Cameron. He went on to win two more Cy Youngs in Houston and two World Series titles.

He played parts of seven seasons with the Astros before signing a two-year, $86.7 million deal with the Mets before the 2023 season. Before he finished a full season in New York, the team shipped him back to Houston at the trade deadline. After a solid finish to that season, Verlander struggled mightily in 2024, as he went 5–6 with a 5.48 ERA.

Verlander signed a one-year, $15 million deal with the Giants in 2025 and turned in a decent season. He finished his lone campaign by the Bay with a 4-11 record, 3.85 ERA and 137 strikeouts in 152 innings.

The Tigers will be hoping the future Hall of Famer’s right arm has one more good season in it. He’ll turn 43 next week and is set to join a rotation that features reigning two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal, the newly added Framber Valdez, Jack Flaherty and Casey Mize.

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