The Houston Astros’ run of seven straight American League Wild Card Series appearances—an American League record—ended on Wednesday when the Detroit Tigers swept them in the AL Wild Card. Three-time Cy Young winner Justin Verlander, who was a big part of this amazing stretch, didn’t even appear in the series, and his baseball future is now in question as he approaches free agency.
Batting injuries throughout the year, which played a part in season-long ineffectiveness, Verlander was left off the Astros’ Wild Card roster. He could have been activated later in the postseason had Houston advanced, but that was not the case, as the 41-year-old’s season ended with him on the bench.
With his contract with the Astros expiring and coming off a year with a career-worst ERA of 5.48, Verlander was asked about his baseball future following the team’s elimination from the playoffs.
“I do feel like I have a lot more to give, pitching-wise,” Verlander told reporters on Wednesday. “This year was a tough year. I learned a lot from it. ... I obviously wasn’t pitching well enough to be a part of this series. But having an offseason to kinda get things right, I definitely feel I want to continue to pitch and compete. I’m not ready to step away yet.”
Verlander was both the second-oldest and the second-highest-paid player in Major League Baseball during the 2024 season. Only Red Sox pitcher Rich Hill, 44, is older, while Verlander’s $43.3 million salary was barely edged out by fellow three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer’s.
Verlander had a team option with the Astros for 2025 worth $35 million that would have vested had he reached 140 innings pitched in 2024. However, he logged 90.1 innings, thus making him a free agent for the 2025 season.
Verlander, who rejoined the Astros in a midseason trade in 2023 from the New York Mets, saw his season start off on the wrong track and never fully recovered. He experienced shoulder discomfort prior to reporting for spring training, which he said put him a couple of weeks behind schedule in terms of his offseason throwing program. He then began the season on the injured list, admitting he needed to build up his shoulder strength and velocity.
After making his debut 21 games into the season, his numbers were respectable for most starting pitchers but were underwhelming for a nine-time All-Star and future Hall of Famer. He posted a 3.95 ERA across 10 starts before neck discomfort landed him back on the injured list. After then missing two-and-a-half months, the table fell out for Verlander upon his return. He posted an unsightly 8.10 ERA in his seven starts after coming off the injured list, which paved the way for him not making the Astros’ ALWC roster.
In his address to reporters following Houston’s Wild Card elimination, Verlander confirmed that he pressed the issue of getting back on the mound as soon as possible, which may have affected his performance.
“I talked to you guys about how I was feeling coming back and how I needed to push the issue a bit,” he said. “It was kind of a weird injury in the neck, and I tried as best I could to get out there and be an asset to help this team in October. But I wasn’t able to do it.”
Verlander finished 5–6 for the season, and his ERA of 5.48 ranked 134th out of the 140 pitchers who logged at least 90 innings. It was also over two runs higher than his career ERA entering the season of 3.24. His other metrics were just as concerning: his home runs allowed per nine innings was the worst mark of his career, his strikeout rate was his lowest in a decade, and his average fastball velocity was his lowest in eight years.
It would take more than just one season for Verlander to accumulate another 38 wins. If he has another maligned season like he had in 2024, then he simply may not get the opportunity to pitch multiple seasons as he enters free agency for just the third time in his 19-year career.
