Getty
Yankees predicted to sign future Hall of Famer
The New York Yankees are likely to pursue some pitching help this offseason, especially with some starters dealing with injury.
Gerrit Cole could miss the start of the season, while Carlos Rodon had surgery and will miss the beginning of the year. With that, the Yankees have a clear need to add rotation help and New York is predicted to land a future Hall of Famer.
MLB Trade Rumors insider Anthony Franco of MLBTradeRumors predicts New York will sign Justin Verlander to a one-year, $22 million deal.
“Verlander will turn 43 in February, but the future Hall of Famer has no plans to call it quits,” the article read. “Coming off yet another solid season at age 42, it’s easy to understand why. Though poor support from his lineup and bullpen left the three-time Cy Young winner with just a 4-11 record on the season, everything else in Verlander’s profile still has the look of a mid-rotation starter. He pitched 152 innings with a 3.85 ERA, a 20.7% strikeout rate, a 7.9% walk rate and a 34.5% ground-ball rate. …
“Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey has already voiced interest in a Verlander reunion, but he’ll probably be on the radar of most contending clubs. Signing with a winning club is surely a priority for a 43-year-old hoping to win a third World Series ring and push as close to 300 career wins as possible. He’s currently 34 shy but has previously spoken of pitching until he’s 45.”
Verlander would be a back-of-the-rotation arm for the Yankees and will be able to eat innings while Cole and Rodon work back from injury.
Meanwhile, the veteran would be a leader in the clubhouse and help guide some of the younger pitchers on the staff, like Cam Schlittler and Luis Gil.
Verlander Plans to Pitch in 2026
Despite being 42 and will be 43 by the time the season starts, Verlander plans to continue pitching.
The future Hall of Famer has made it clear he will be pitching in 2026 as long as a team offers him a contract.
“I would hope somebody would offer me a contract now,” Verlander said to USA Today back in September.”
Verlander has 266 career wins, and although 300 seems unlikely, it is something he has thought about.
“I mean, I’m human,’’ Verlander said. “I think we all know. Like everybody in this locker room, all of you guys (reporters), and most of baseball kind of understand where I’m at. So, it would have been nice if possible, but again it’s that point of the year where we’re not playing for induvial (numbers).”
Verlander is a three-time Cy Young Award winner, a one-time AL MVP, and a two-time World Series champion.
Yankees Without Cole & Rodon to Begin 2026
New York will begin the 2026 MLB season without Cole and Rodon in the rotation.
Cole is rehabbing from Tommy John surgery and is expected to return shortly after Opening Day. Rodon, meanwhile, had surgery on his left elbow to remove loose bodies and shave down a bone spur and will miss the beginning of the season.
“When you build in all the ramp-up and the throwing program and getting him ready to be a starting pitcher, that probably delays him potentially a couple of weeks to start the season,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.
With those two out to begin the year, the Yankees will likely look to add at least one starting pitcher this offseason.
Cole Shelton Cole Shelton covers the NHL and MLB for Heavy.com. He has covered pro and college sports since 2016, including bylines at BJ Penn, USA Today, SB Nation, Rotowire, Canadian Baseball Network and more. More about Cole Shelton
More Heavy on Yankees
Loading more stories
