Yankees Miss On Justin Verlander Again; What's Next For New York?
For the second straight offseason, the Yankees expressed interest in Justin Verlander but came up short.
The unanimous American League Cy Young winner agreed to a two-year, $86.66 million deal with the crosstown Mets on Monday, per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal. The pact includes a vesting third-year option for the 39-year-old righty, per ESPN's Jeff Passan.
The Mets now have two aces making an average of $43.3 million per year, with Max Scherzer being the other. The Yankees, meanwhile, don’t have many options left if they want to add a frontline starter. Here’s a look at how Verlander’s new contract impacts the New York team he didn’t sign with.
Missing Out Again
The Yankees made Verlander a one-year, $25 million offer last winter, but he re-signed with the Astros for the same rate and a player option for another $25 million. Verlander then parlayed that into a Cy Young season and his new deal with the Mets after Tommy John surgery cost him all but one game in 2020 and the entire 2021 campaign.
This time around, the Yankees did not want to give Verlander a third year at the price he received from the Mets, per NJ.com’s Brendan Kuty. And so Steve Cohen’s club, not Hal Steinbrenner’s, landed a game-changing ace at a record cost for the second consecutive offseason.
Hurts Houston
Fans in the Bronx will surely take issue with the Yankees’ reported hesitation over a third year for Verlander, especially when the team’s long-perceived little brother got the deal done. But Verlander’s agreement with the Mets isn’t all bad news for the Yanks.
Verlander’s departure from Houston is a blow for the Yankees’ biggest foe in the American League. While the Astros still have a deep and talented pitching staff – New York knows this first-hand following the American League Championship Series – filling the shoes of the reigning Cy Young winner and a future Hall of Famer will take a group effort without any new additions.
Rodón Remains
With Verlander and Jacob deGrom off the board, the Yankees don’t have many choices left if they want to add a top-of-the-rotation starter. Carlos Rodón is the best one left following two All-Star seasons with the White Sox and Giants. The southpaw is seeking a six-year deal worth more than $30 million, per the New York Post’s Jon Heyman.
Japanese free agent Kodai Senga is another option with lots of upside, but he hasn’t been tested in the majors. Otherwise, the Yankees can choose from a lower tier of talents that includes Chris Bassitt, Jameson Taillon and José Quintana, among others, if they want to add to their rotation.
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