Year 20 for Justin Verlander in the Big Leagues will see him heading across the country to the Bay Area.
As was reported by Jeff Passan, Verlander has inked a one-year deal with the San Francisco Giants. The soon-to-be 42-year-old has spent nearly half his life pitching professionally in Major League Baseball. This new adventure will involve him pitching in arguably the most pitcher-friendly park in the league.
The 9-time All-Star has dealt with several injuries throughout the last few seasons. From 2023-24, Verlander went a combined 18-14 for the Mets and Astros. This past year, Verlander notched a 5-6 record with a 5.48 ERA. He threw 90.1 IP — allowing 98 hits and striking out 74 batters.
While he doesn’t have the stuff he once had, if you were to pick the ideal spot for any pitcher, San Francisco would be it. Verlander potentially is joining a deep rotation featuring the likes of Logan Webb, Robbie Ray, Jordan Hicks, and Kyle Harrison.
At the very worst, Verlander will bring with him a wealth of knowledge that the team — and most specifically the pitching staff — can benefit from. There’s a world in which he could help the Giants in what appears to be a treacherous NL West. San Francisco at the outset is projected to be the No. 4 team in a division featuring the Los Angeles Dodgers, the San Diego Padres, and the Arizona Diamondbacks.
At the same time, SF’s rotation is one of the better ones in the league — and as such that gives the Giants a puncher’s chance at being decent.
