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The Astros are being urged to bring back Justin Verlander.
The Houston Astros finished the 2025 season with an 87-75 record and in second place in the American League West standings. Unfortunately for the Astros, this made them miss the playoffs for the first time since the 2016 season.
After missing the playoffs, the Astros have responded by having a fairly quiet offseason so far. Yet, they have made a few additions this winter that have the potential to benefit them. They notably signed pitcher Tatsuya Imai to a three-year contract. They also brought in Mike Burrows, Nick Allen, and Ryan Weiss this offseason.
Yet, the Astros’ rotation has taken a big hit, as star pitcher Framber Valdez is a free agent and is expected to sign elsewhere. The 32-year-old was a very important part of the Astros’ rotation during his eight-year stint in Houston, so it would not be surprising in the slightest if Houston looked to bring in another impactful starter before the season starts.
Due to this, the Astros are now being urged to bring back a future Hall of Famer to their rotation through free agency.
Astros Named Best Landing Spot for Star Pitcher Justin Verlander
In a recent article for Bleacher Report, Tim Kelly discussed the best fits for each remaining free agent pitcher. Justin Verlander was among the pitchers discussed in the article, and Kelly went with the Astros as the best landing spot for the 42-year-old.
“This actually isn’t sentimental—a third stint for Justin Verlander in Houston makes some sense for everyone involved. Verlander faces an uphill battle to become the 25th pitcher in MLB history to win 300 games, but he is sitting on 266 victories entering his age-43 season. The Astros are a competitive team, and Houston is a comfortable setting that the future Hall of Famer can continue to chip away toward that milestone,” Kelly wrote.
With the Astros needing another pitcher, it would be understandable if they brought back Verlander for his third stint in Houston. He could fit nicely in the middle of their rotation and would have the potential to give their roster a nice boost.
In 29 games this past season with the San Francisco Giants, Verlander had a 4-11 record, a 3.85 ERA, and 137 strikeouts. Yet, as Kelly noted, Verlander was significantly better in the second half of the season.
Verlander Should Generate Interest From Multiple Teams
While Verlander is being connected to a potential Astros reunion, there have been multiple other clubs linked to the future Hall of Famer this offseason. Verlander’s first team, the Detroit Tigers, has undoubtedly been one of them. The Giants and Baltimore Orioles have also been viewed as potential landing spots for Verlander this winter as well.
When noting that Verlander is one of the top pitchers left unsigned and has an incredible resume, it would not be surprising in the slightest if his market starts to heat up. It will be interesting to see if the Astros end up being the team that lands him. When looking at the Astros’ current roster, there is no question that the fit looks good on paper.
Michael DeRosa Michael covers the NHL for Heavy.com. He has professionally covered the NHL since 2017 and has written for other publications like The Hockey News, BetMGM, Athlon Sports, and The Hockey Writers. More about Michael DeRosa
