A day after the Houston Astros extended a one-year/$18.4 million qualifying offer to Justin Verlander, the former American League MVP held a showcase for interested teams Monday.
Verlander is an especially difficult free agent to pin because he'll turn 39 in February and Tommy John surgery essentially cost him all of 2020 and 2021. With that said, he's one of the greatest pitchers of his era, and won his second American League Cy Young Award in 2019, his most recent full season.
It could be that the eight-time All-Star ultimately accepts the qualifying offer and returns to the Astros. However, if his camp gets the sense in the coming days that some team will be willing to roll the dice and guarantee him multiple seasons (or just more money in 2021), he could decline it and look for a new deal in free agency.
Of course, how Verlander looked Monday may have a direct impact on his market, and whether he accepts or declines the qualifying offer before the Nov. 17 deadline. Here's everything we know so far about his throwing session in Florida:
- Britt Ghiroli of The Athletic says the Rangers were among the clubs who saw Verlander throw.
- Joel Sherman of The New York Post says that there is "a strong chance" Verlander declines the qualifying offer after a 25-pitch session that saw him reach as high as 97 mph on the radar gun.
- Additionally, Sherman adds that "15-20" teams were in attendance to see Verlander's session, specifically naming the New York Yankees and New York Mets.
- Jon Morosi and Harold Reynolds of MLB Network noted that Verlander "has reached 95-96 mph in recent throwing sessions." Morosi added that he's heard that Verlander is on the Tom Brady approach, hoping to play until he's 45 years old.
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