Last-minute deal sends Verlander to Houston
HOUSTON — When Houston manager A.J. Hinch called to welcome Justin Verlander to the team, the pitcher’s first question was when he’d make his debut for the Astros.
The answer is Tuesday at Seattle after the Astros orchestrated a last-minute deal with the Detroit Tigers on Thursday night to acquire the right-hander and bolster their rotation as they eye a deep playoff run in October.
General manager Jeff Luhnow said they’d been trying to get Verlander to Houston since late July, but weren’t able to pull it off until just before the deadline for having players eligible for post-season play.
“I was confident that we were going to get the deal over the finish line,” Luhnow said. “But obviously there were times I had my doubts even through the last 20 minutes or so.”
The trade gives the American League West leaders a powerful 1-2-3 punch at the top of their rotation with 2015 Cy Young Award winner Dallas Keuchel and Lance McCullers pairing with Verlander, who won the AL Cy Young and MVP awards in 2011.
“Justin Verlander is hands-down the best possible outcome that we could have had last night going into September,” Hinch said. “By the responses of our team, we couldn’t be more excited to get him here, get him into our culture and see where he can help take us.”
The six-time All Star is a playoff veteran, having appeared in the post-season five times.
Verlander is 7-5 with a 3.39 ERA and 112 strikeouts in 16 career starts in the playoffs.
The 34-year-old is 10-8 with a 3.82 ERA in 28 starts this season.
The Tigers received three minor-league prospects in outfielder Daz Cameron, righthander Franklin Perez and catcher Jake Rogers, as well as a player to be named later or cash in the deal.
Detroit also agreed to pay $17,355,191 to Houston, offsetting a portion of the $60,743,169 remaining on Verlander’s contract, which calls for a $28-million annual salary. The Tigers will give Houston $1,355,191 on Oct. 15 this year and $8 million on June 15 each year in 2018 and 2019.
Verlander had to agree to the deal as a player with both a no-trade provision and 10 years of service, including five with his current team. Hinch said his motivation for wanting to join the Astros was simple.
“He’s been so successful in his career. The one thing missing is a World Series ring,” Hinch said. “So he let it be known to me right away that he wants to win, he wants to win here. He respects the success that we’ve had and he wants to do his part.”