One of the best careers in baseball this season is coming to an end. Justin Verlander announced that he will retire at the end of the current season. Earlier today, Verlander was selected as a “legendary pick” for the All-Star game. Verlander released a statement thanking commissioner Rob Manfred for honoring him and disclosed the issues within that statement.
“This season has challenged me in a way I’ve never seen before,” said Verlander’s statement, “physically and mentally. I’ve always believed that as long as I can compete at the level that is expected of me, I will continue to play. I never wanted to retire because of a milestone, a number, or a day on the calendar. I wanted the game to tell me it was time.
“A few months ago, I realized that the time had come. Although I am fully committed to giving my team everything I have until the end of the season, I decided that it would be the last. It is fitting that I finish where it began – with the Detroit Tigers, the organization that drafted me and gave me my first opportunity.” This statement goes on to thank his family, fans, colleagues, coaches, players, clubhouse players and more.
Verlander was born in Manakin Sabot, Virginia in 1983 and played college football a few hours down the road at Old Dominion University. After three solid years for the Monarchs, he entered the 2004 draft as one of the top guys available. The Padres used the first pick Matt Bushthen the Tigers used the second pick to get Verlander. In 2005, Verlander dominated the minors, posting a 1.29 earned run average in 118 2/3 innings. He also managed to make a short major league appearance, starting two games.
He broke camp with the team in 2006 and made 30 starts, posting a 3.63 ERA in 186 innings. He was an easy choice for American League Rookie of the Year. He helped the Tigers go 95-67 and make the playoffs for the first time since 1987. They got past the Yankees in the ALDS and then the Athletics in the ALCS, although they lost to the Cardinals in the World Series.
Another strong season followed in 2007, with Verlander posting a 3.66 ERA in 32 starts. The highlight of that season was Verlander throwing a no-hitter against the Brewers on June 12. He earned his first All-Star selection that summer. He continued to be a strong presence in Detroit’s rotation over the next few years, although the club did not make the playoffs from 2007 to 2010. Verlander and the Tigers inked a five-year, $80MM extension before the 2010 season, keeping him signed in Detroit in 2014.
He reached an incredible new level in 2011. He made 34 starts that year and pitched 251 innings with a league-leading 2.40 ERA. He struck out 250 batters along the way, leading the league in that category as well. He won 24 games, which was also the highest in the league, giving him the title of Triple Crown. Clayton Kershaw also won the Triple Crown in the National League, making it the first season with Triple Crown winners since 1924. Verlander was a unanimous AL Cy Young selection and also earned MVP honors, a rare feat for a pitcher.
The Tigers returned to the playoffs that year but were eliminated by the Rangers in the ALCS. Verlander had another excellent season in 2012, with a 2.64 ERA in 33 innings. The Tigers won the Central that year and eventually returned to the World Series, although they were swept by the Giants. A new contract was signed before the 2013 season, a seven-year deal worth $180MM, with a five-year extension and $140MM in new money. Verlander was now signed with Detroit through 2019, one of the largest contracts for a pitcher in history at the time.
Verlander continued to post strong results year after year. The Tigers made the playoffs again in 2013 and 2014 but were eliminated before the World Series both of those years. In the following seasons, Verlander continued to put up good numbers but the championship window began to close. In 2017, a season in which the Tigers would finish 64-98, they decided to kick back. That year at the waiver deadline in late August, they traded Justin Upton To the Angels and Verlander to the Astros. By getting Verlander back, Detroit got some hope Franklin Pérez, Daz Cameronagain Jake Rogers.
Verlander finished that season with five starts for the Astros, posting a 1.06 ERA in those. He then posted a 2.21 ERA over six postseason appearances as the Astros passed the Red Sox, Yankees and Dodgers to win it all that year. Verlander won the ALCS MVP award along the way. He got his first ring, though that title would later become controversial with the revelations of Houston’s sign-stealing scandal.
In 2018 and 2019, Verlander posted a 2.52 ERA and then a 2.58 ERA. In the 2019 campaign, Verlander won his second Cy Young Award. The Astros made the playoffs both of those years but lost to the Red Sox in the 2018 ALCS and then to the Nationals in the 2019 World Series.
Between those two campaigns, the Astros offered Verlander a two-year, $66MM extension through the 2020 and 2021 seasons. Unfortunately, 2020 turned out to be a lost season for him. The COVID pandemic delayed the start of the season until July. Verlander was just starting before he got hurt. He eventually needed Tommy John surgery in September of that year, which ended his 2021.
He became a free agent for the first time after missing two entire seasons. The Astros signed him back to a two-year, $50MM deal, with Verlander eligible to opt out. He responded with one of his best seasons, posting a 1.75 ERA over 28 starts in 2022. He won his third Cy Young award. The Astros won 106 games that year and won the World Series, giving the franchise and Verlander a second ring.
On the heels of that excellent season, Verlander opted out of his contract and returned to free agency. He signed a massive two-year, $86.66MM deal with the Mets, a hair under Max Scherzer with a large annual contract rate at that time. Verlander played well for the Mets in 2023 but the team did poorly and he was sent back to Houston at that year’s deadline. The Astros had another great season but were eliminated by the Rangers in the ALCS.
Verlander’s performance declined in 2024, as he made multiple trips to IL and posted a 5.48 ERA over 17 starts. He returned to free agency and signed a one-year, $15MM deal with the Giants. He also regressed a bit, with a 3.85 ERA in 29 starts, although he had a 20.7% strikeout rate.
Back in free agency before 2026, he returned to the Tigers on a one-year, $13MM deal, albeit with a deferred amount. His triumphant return to Detroit still awaits, however. He made it one walk before hitting the injured list with swelling in his left hip. He was coming off the injured list in June when he suffered a hamstring strain. He remains on the IL and the mounting injuries seem to have influenced his decision to cover his nails.
Put it all together and you have one of the most slam-dunk Hall of Fame careers of all time, and certainly of this era. Verlander threw 3,571 1/3 innings in 556 games with a 3.33 ERA. He had 266 wins and 159 losses. He made 359 quality starts and threw 26 complete games, including nine shutouts and three no-hitters. He has 3,554 strikeouts, eighth on the all-time list. You still have time to add to those numbers and only 20 games remain Don Suttonso that he can climb to the seventh place every time.
Verlander was selected to the All-Star team ten times. He won two World Series rings, three Cy Youngs, a Rookie of the Year award, a Triple Crown and an MVP. He led the AL in wins four times, ERA twice and strikeouts five times. FanGraphs credits him with 84.2 wins over Baseball Reference’s 81.8 WAR. B-Ref puts his career earnings at over $427MM. We at MLB Trade Rumors congratulate Verlander on a great job and wish him the best in whatever comes next.
Photos courtesy of David Rodriguez-Muno, Charles LeClaire, Joe Nicholson, Vincent Carchietta, Imagn Images
