(Audacy) A day after right-hander Noah Syndergaard agreed to a one-year, $21-million deal with the Los Angeles Angels, two-time American League Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander's free-agent market continued to heat up Wednesday.
The White Sox are showing "strong interest" in Verlander, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported. Of course, they'll face a lot of competition for his services. The Dodgers and Braves have also recently emerged as suitors for Verlander, according to reports.
Those three teams join the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays as previously reported suitors. The Angels could still be an option for Verlander as well, Audacy Sports insider Jon Heyman suggested Tuesday. The Houston Astros and Detroit Tigers -- the two teams Verlander has played for in his Hall of Fame-caliber career -- also seemingly have some level of interest in a reunion with the eight-time All-Star.
The White Sox are set to return Lance Lynn, Lucas Giolito, Dylan Cease and Dallas Keuchel to their rotation and move Michael Kopech into it from the bullpen, but given Keuchel's struggles in 2021 and the likelihood of Kopech's workload being closely monitored, they remain in need of depth for their staff -- and could use another frontline starter, just like any team. That's what Verlander has been in the past.
Verlander, 38, missed the entire 2021 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in September 2020, but he looked excellent in a throwing session last week, according to reports. Verlander won the AL Cy Young award in 2019, his last full season, when he had a 2.58 ERA and 0.80 WHIP in 223 innings across 34 starts.
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Verlander is expected to decline the one-year, $18.4-million qualifying offer that the Astros extended to him, Heyman has reported. That's not much of a surprise given how many interested teams he has. One would think he's in line to land a multi-year deal, as we projected at the outset of free agency.
Verlander is "expected to have a decision fairly soon, perhaps even this week," Heyman reported.
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