The Detroit Tigers were busy upgrading their starting rotation this past offseason. They signed both Framber Valdez and Justin Verlander. All the while, Tarik Skubal remains under contract for at least one more season.
Verlander broke into the big leagues with the Tigers in 2005 and was the American League Rookie of the Year in 2006, a year in which he helped take Detroit to its first World Series since 1984.
Verlander won a Cy Young with Detroit and was a six-time All-Star before being traded to the Houston Astros. The Tigers open up a series with the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field this week. Verlander will start the opener.
Jon Morosi of MLB Network pointed out that this is a full circle moment for the future Hall of Famer.
“Today, Justin Verlander starts a regular season game for the Tigers for the first time in 3,134 days,” Morosi posted on X.
Justin Verlander makes Detroit Tigers return
Verlander won two additional Cy Young awards after leaving the Tigers. He also spent some brief time with the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants. Last season, he went 4-11 but posted a respectable 3.85 ERA in 29 starts and 152 innings pitched.
The 43-year-old has certainly had a Hall of Fame worthy career, and now he gets a chance to pitch at least one more season with the team that drafted and developed him.
When Detroit traded him away in 2017, they were well out of postseason contention, and Verlander helped Houston win two World Series titles. Now, the Tigers are back to contending and are the favorites to win the AL Central.
With Detroit finally back in the picture, Verlander has a chance to help them win their first World Series title since 1984. The Tigers have not been to the World Series since 2012, but they have made it to the postseason as a wild card team in back-to-back years.
They ultimately fell short in the ALDS both times, but the future is still bright for Detroit, and there is a lot to like about their rotation and having Verlander back in it.
But the series opener in Arizona is going to be a full circle moment for Verlander, who has been away from Detroit for the past nine seasons. Perhaps it’s fitting that the three-time Cy Young and nine-time All-Star returns to his old team to potentially finish off a legendary career and cement his legacy.
What Verlander brings to Tigers
The Tigers needed more experience in their rotation, as well as some additional arms to pair with Skubal that they can trust in postseason games. Skubal may be one of the top pitchers in Major League Baseball, but Verlander is a proven big-game pitcher that can be trusted in the postseason.
He may not be his Cy Young self anymore, but he is still an effective pitcher, and he can serve as a mentor for some of Detroit’s younger players as they continue to take steps towards becoming one of the best teams in the American League.
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