The Top Landing Spots for Astros' Justin Verlander in MLB Free Agency

This won't be anything like last offseason for Justin Verlander.

Sure, there was intrigue to see him come back after missing two years while recovering from a torn UCL. Well over a dozen teams sent scouts to watch him work out in Florida last November, when he threw about 25 pitches clocking in between 94-97 mph, according to the New York Post's Joel Sherman.

No one had seen a pitcher, especially of this caliber, return from Tommy John surgery at this age commanding high figures like Verlander, but now everyone knows the results of the experiment.

In 2022, Verlander led baseball with the lowest ERA, WHIP and tied for lowest opponent batting average.

So with that in mind, let's take a look at the top landing spots for the greatest right-handed pitcher of his generation after he opted out of his Astros contract to officially become a free agent, per Jon Morosi of MLB Network.

This feels like more of a play on nostalgia. The Tigers are not built to win now and brought in a new president of baseball operations to reset their strategy.

Detroit's most immediate needs are at corner outfield, catcher and third base. The offense was putrid in 2022, with the Tigers scoring the fewest runs and ranking next-to-last in OPS.

Justin Verlander won't fix that. But he is still a legend there. Coming off another Cy Young-worthy season, it's also certain he would immediately improve a pitching staff that ranked bottom third across baseball in ERA and WHIP.

Now that Verlander has two World Series rings, and finally an individual win in the World Series, would he be intrigued by finishing this Hall of Fame career where it started?

The Tigers, albeit under different management, were aggressive last offseason in signing Eduardo Rodríguez and Javier Báez to sizable contracts.

Those deals did not exactly pan out in year one, but Verlander's consistency and longevity is a safer bet.

Verlander has said he's always open to the idea of finishing his career with the Tigers, but he wants to be on a competitive ballclub.

This would be quite the scene, Verlander joining the team he just beat to win the World Series with a legitimate chance to compete for another championship.

The Phillies are already paying a lot for Bryce Harper, Zack Wheeler, J.T. Realmuto, Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos. All of them make at least $20 million next season.

Verlander is projected to get at least $35 million annually, if not closer to a Max Scherzer-like deal ($43.3 million per year over three seasons).

This is the kind of move that could put the Phillies over the top. One of their weaknesses was the backend of the rotation. But if you stick Verlander at the top, with Wheeler and Aaron Nola, then Ranger Suarez as your fourth option, that's an incredible upgrade. The Phillies also have top prospect Andrew Painter, who could factor into the mix.

Addressing the rotation should be one of the Phillies' top priorities this offseason.

Verlander wants to win championships, and now he knows firsthand how close the Phillies are to doing it.

Verlander fits the exact profile of what the Giants will be targeting in free agency.

As The Athletic's Grant Brisbee put it, "Justin Verlander can throw a baseball hard, he can make it move and he can generally throw it where he wants to. Any pitcher who can do that will interest the Giants."

The Giants also prefer short-term, high-ceiling deals for pitchers, as they did with Carlos Rodón and Anthony DeSclafani last offseason.

Verlander would be a replacement for and short-term upgrade on Rodón, who turns 30 in December and is likely looking for a long-term deal after a successful season in San Francisco.

The Giants are also in the market for Aaron Judge and any of the talented crop of free-agent shortstops. President of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi acknowledged to reporters after the season the Giants have "the flexibility to be involved in every possible option on the table."

That should include pursuing Verlander on a two- or three-year deal.

We've already seen this movie. The Mets signing Verlander would be their Max Scherzer sequel and would make sense with Jacob deGrom possibly leaving in free agency.

They also have three other starters possibly leaving this offseason: Chris Bassitt, Carlos Carrasco (vested option) and Taijuan Walker (opt out).

The Mets must address the pitching staff one way or another, and what better way to do it than pairing Verlander with Scherzer? It's a great initial starting point for fleshing out a rotation.

After winning 101 games this past season in a competitive division, the Mets did themselves some favors going all-in the previous offseason.

They look much more like a contender now than a year ago when Verlander was on the market. In that way, the Mets and Verlander have something in common, proving themselves with bounceback performances in 2022.

The interesting question here is how much Verlander gets. There is an easy comparison with Scherzer, who was three years younger than Verlander will be in 2023 and signed a three-year, $130 million contract last offseason.

The Dodgers are impossible to rule out for any big-time free agent. But the fit here is obvious and striking.

There is a potential mass exodus of Dodgers free agents, including starters like Clayton Kershaw, Tyler Anderson and Andrew Heaney.

They were reportedly interested in Verlander last offseason, when he was less of a sure thing returning from Tommy John surgery at age 39. If the Dodgers wanted that Verlander, what must they think of a possible third Cy Young campaign capped with another World Series title?

The Dodgers just won 111 games for the best record in baseball, but were upset by the division rival San Diego Padres in the NLDS.

Still, if Verlander is going to leave the Astros but still wants to compete at that same level, the Dodgers are the closest landing spot from a consistency and longevity standpoint. It's a place he knows he could win immediately, and the team is not shy about spending money.

Any awkwardness from Verlander being on the 2017 World Series Astros would quickly diminish once he starts shoving.

Here is another squad we can't rule out for big-time free agents, and another one that had eyes on Verlander last offseason.

The Yankees reportedly offered him the same $25 million annual salary he got from the Astros. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports the Yankees may try again but don't necessarily like their chances.

If Verlander went to the Yankees, he would reunite with former Astros teammate Gerrit Cole, who beat out for the AL Cy Young their last season together in 2019.

The Yankees' rotation is mostly set, but imagine replacing Domingo German with Verlander, then adding him to Cole, Luis Severino, Nestor Cortés Jr. and Frankie Montas.

A Verlander signing would not help the Yankees' overreliance on home runs, but adding him would change their outlook, especially if they're able to bring back Aaron Judge.

Here is another team that checked in with Verlander last offseason with hopes of signing him. At one point, according to Verlander, the Blue Jays were the favorite to sign him.

He told ESPN's Jeff Passan over the summer that Toronto was so proactive in the free agency process last offseason, he made sure to thank them for the effort. Verlander talked a lot with former Astros teammate George Springer, who signed there after the 2020 season.

The Blue Jays have shown their willingness to be aggressive, trading for José Berríos before signing him to an extension, and bringing in Chris Bassitt from Oakland. They were fairly aggressive trying to get Verlander as well.

According to Verlander, his decision came down to the Astros and Blue Jays, who made the same offer, with the Yankees as a distant third.

It will once again be a priority for Toronto to fortify its rotation, which is already solid with Alek Manoah, Kevin Gausman and Berríos. Adding Verlander would change Toronto's trajectory entirely.

No use in fixing what isn't broken, especially if the money is right. The Astros have appeared in the ALCS in each of the six seasons Verlander has been in Houston, even the two seasons in which he was injured and recovering from Tommy John surgery.

He finally picked up a win in the World Series on the way to a second title with the Astros. There is a mutual admiration between Verlander and Astros owner Jim Crane, who paid him $66 million over two years while he pitched just six innings and mostly recovered from Tommy John.

Crane brought him back on the lesser deal, then Verlander rewarded him with another Cy Young-worthy season and World Series title.

Crane said Wednesday during a press conference announcing a new one-year contract for Dusty Baker that the Astros would do their best to bring Verlander back, even as they hold an embarrassment of riches in young starting pitching.