Verlander is ‘best possible outcome’

When Astros manager A.J. Hinch called to welcome Justin Verlander to the team, the pitcher’s first question was when he’d make his debut.

The answer is Tuesday at Seattle after the Astros orchestrated a last-minute deal with the 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 the Astros had been trying to get Verlander to Houston since late July, but they weren’t able to pull it off until just before the deadline for having players eligible for postseason 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 and is a six-time All-Star.

“Justin Verlander is the best possible outcome we could have had going into September,” Hinch said. “By the response 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.

“He’s been so successful in his career. The one thing missing is a World Series ring, so he let it be known right away that he wants to win here. He respects the success we’ve had this season and the previous couple of sea- sons.”

The Tigers agreed to pay $17,355,191 to offset a portion of the $60,743,169 remaining on Verlander’s contract, which calls for a $28 million annual salary.