Tigers Legend Justin Verlander Reveals One Regret That Drove Return to Detroit
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The Detroit Tigers made one of their most popular moves in some time this week when shocking news broke that they were bringing back Justin Verlander on a one-year, $13 million deal.
Verlander's return to the Motor City goes beyond just a feel good retirement tour however at the age of 43; the way he performed down the stretch in 2025 for the San Francisco Giants is certainly conducive to someone who can help this team win right now.
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At his re-introductory press conference on Thursday where he spoke publicly for the first time since putting pen to paper with the Tigers, Verlander was very honest about the main reason for his homecoming to Detroit, and how he wants to make it right this time around.
Verlander Wants World Series Ring with Tigers
"The one thing I would like to accomplish in Detroit that I had a couple shots at that I really regret not achieving was a World Series title," Verlander said via Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press when asked what he hopes to do this time around in Detroit.
The future Hall of Famer went on to dive into what his thought process was in coming back to the Tigers and how the conversations started right after the season came to a close.
Interestingly, the talks did not really come together until the unfortunate news became clear that Reese Olson would be out for an extended period, which really opened up the door from the team's perspective to bring in Verlander.
"I was sitting there thinking about where I wanted to be, and Detroit just kept coming to my mind," he said. "As soon as the season was over, I called Scott [Harris], Chris [Ilitch], and A.J. [Hinch] and let my intentions be known....At first, it didn't seem like there was much room for me. We had some very candid conversations, Scott and I, and unfortunately, there were some things that happened recently where some innings they were planning on aren't going to be filled, so I think that opened the door."
Verlander's Return Gives Tigers Legitimate Star Power in Rotation
While it's up for debate whether or not Verlander fully fills in for the loss of Olson, there's no question this is the most exciting rotation in all of baseball. Detroit's staff is bookended by the current best pitcher on the planet and the former one, each potentially only appearing in Tigers uniforms together for one season.
It remains to be seen whether or not that can lead to a deeper run in the postseason than the last two years, but it certainly does make for an interesting story regardless and something which will be the main discussion point around the team.
Should Verlander actually be able to make good on that regret and bring Detroit its first World Series since 1984, it would be one of the best stories in the history of baseball. Time will tell whether or not that is possible, but it should be a fun ride either way.
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Michael Brauner is a 2022 graduate of the University of Alabama with a degree in Sports Media. He covers various MLB teams across the On SI network and you can also find his work on Yellowhammer News covering the Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn Tigers as well as on the radio producing and co-hosting 'The Opening Kickoff' every weekday morning on 105.5 WNSP FM in Mobile, Alabama.