The dream of seeing Justin Verlander in a Houston Astros uniform in October could be over. The Tigers put Verlander on revocable waivers last week, which he cleared. This means that he is available for any team in August.
Anthony Fenech said that the Astros had a scout at his last start. Then Jon Morosi tweeted that the Astros have been in contact with the Tigers over Verlander. Bob Nightengale did confirm the Astros interest but said the Tigers are likely to hold onto him.
It would have been tough to trade for Verlander anyway. Verlander has a no trade clause with his 10-5 rights. Would he accept a trade to the Astros? Then there was a matter of Verlander's contract. He is owed $56 million over the next two seasons, plus a vesting option of $22 million for 2019.
The Tigers would want to get top prospects in return for their longtime ace but are hesitant to pay much of the contract. For the Tigers to justify the trade, they would need a huge haul. Verlander is their Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio.
If the Tigers wanted Derek Fisher, that would be impossible because he is on the 40-man roster. So the Tigers would need to dig deeper into the Houston farm system.
There were so many obstacles to a Verlander trade at the deadline. Those obstacles have increased during the waiver trade period. Hopefully, the Astros will get some relief in August. Verlander does not look like one.
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***Salary from Baseball-Reference***