Verlander, Belt stay with their old teams
NEW YORK — Justin Verlander reached a $25 million deal to remain with Houston as he comes back from Tommy John surgery, and Brandon Belt accepted an $18.4 million qualifying offer from San Francisco on Wednesday.
Verlander, a 38-year-old right-hander, has a conditional $25M option for 2023 as part of the agreement.
He made just one start in 2020, pitching six innings on July 24 in a win over Seattle on opening day before being placed on the injured list with strained right forearm. He attempted a comeback after he was injured, but announced on Sept. 19, 2020, that he needed Tommy John surgery and underwent the procedure on Oct. 1.
Verlander, a two-time Cy Young Award, became a free agent after completing a $94 million, three-year contract with the Astros. He said earlier this year that his rehab was going well.
He is 226-129 with a 3.33 ERA in 16 seasons.
Belt, 33, was the only one to accept among the 14 free agents who received the offers from their former clubs on Nov. 7. He is perhaps wary of a free-agent market at first base that includes 2020 NL MVP Freddie Freeman.
Belt hit .274 with a careerhigh 29 home runs and 59 RBIs last season.
Players who turned down offers included Freeman (Atlanta), shortstop Carlos Correa and Verlander (Houston), right-hander Raisel Iglesias (Los Angeles Angels), AL Cy Young Award winner Robbie Ray and second baseman/ shortstop Marcus Semien (Toronto), outfielder Nick Castellanos (Cincinnati), shortstop Trevor Story (Colorado), shortstop Corey Seager and infielder/outfielder Chris Taylor (Los Angeles Dodgers) and outfielder Michael Conforto (New York Mets).
Two of the players who received offers have finalized contracts with new teams. Lefty Eduardo Rodríguez left Boston for a $77 million, five-year deal with Detroit, and righty Noah Syndergaard left the Mets for a $21 million, oneyear deal with the Angels.
YANKEES: While speculation about where the top free-agent shortstops. Carlos Correa and Corey Seager, will land, the New York Daily News reports it is unlikely to be in New York with the Yankees.
With rising shortstop prospects Anthony Volpe (a 20-year-old who just tore up High-A) and Oswald Peraza (who dominated every level of the minors before reaching Triple-A last year) being groomed to eventually take over the position, the Yankees are expected to turn their attention elsewhere.
Owner Hal Steinbrenner meanwhile said he is open to a new contract for slugger Aaron Judge.
MARLINS: Miami completed its coaching staff for next season Wednesday, adding Marcus Thames from the New York Yankees and promoting Al Pedrique, Edwar González and Eric Duncan from various roles within the organization. The Marlins went 67-95 this year under manager Don Mattingly.
METS: New York was close to completing a deal Wednesday night to hire ex-Angels GM Billy Eppler as its GM, according to a person familiar with the negotiations.
Eppler and the Mets were nearing a four-year contract, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity.