With a 2-8 record in their last 10 games, the San Francisco Giants are slowly fading out of contention. The National League West club is six games behind the San Diego Padres for the final Wild Card spot.
Given the club’s recent play, MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reports that the Giants have made veteran starting pitcher Justin Verlander’s name available in trade discussions. Verlander is a free agent at season’s end but could also opt to retire.
Can the Giants find him a suitable trade partner who has a chance of winning a World Series this year? Perhaps a return to the Houston Astros?
Verlander’s Tough Season
Verlander, a three-time Cy Young Award winner and 2011 American League MVP, has lost some of his juice since his prime years.
“Verlander, 42, may not have the most vibrant of markets after what has been an up-and-down July, which has included a 1-3 record, 5.40 ERA, and .333 batting average allowed,” Bleacher Report’s Timothy Rapp wrote Wednesday, the second-to-last day before Thursday’s trade deadline.
“His last two starts have been better, however, as he’s given up just one run and seven hits in 10 innings, with a win and no-decision for those efforts.”
Verlander began the year on a chase to 300 wins in Major League Baseball, but it was an unrealistic goal for the media and fans alike to have, as he began the year at 262 wins and is 1-8 in 18 starts in his first season with the San Francisco Giants.
“Over the past two seasons, however, it’s been clear that his best days are well behind him. Verlander went from a 3.22 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and 3.5 WAR in 2023 to a 5.48 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, and minus-0.3 WAR last season,” wrote Rapp.
Which Teams Need a Starting Pitcher?
With less than eight hours to go until the clock strikes 6 p.m. EDT on Thursday, several clubs should be in the market for a starting pitcher.
“For teams looking to add to the back-end of the rotation without giving up much in return, Verlanderâa pending free agentâcould be logical. For teams seeking a potential top-of-the-rotation option, however, looking elsewhere probably makes more sense,” wrote Rapp about what Verlander could offer to contending teams.
The Houston Astros, a team Verlander played for from 2017 to 2022, and then again from 2023 to 2024, could make sense for Verlander. Once again, Houston looks like a World Series contender despite the injury to third baseman Isaac Paredes and the absence of Yordan Alvarez for all but 29 games.
Verlander won World Series titles with the Astros in 2017 and 2022, and this year’s version of the Astros’ rotation has several question marks after Framber Valdez and Hunter Brown. Starters Lance McCullers Jr., Brandon Walter, Spencer Arrighetti, Luis Garcia, Cristian Javier, and J.P. France are all on the injured list with respective injuries.
“Either way, the Giants have clearly entered selling mode, having dropped nine of 11 games since the All-Star Break. Reliever Tyler Rogers has already been dealt to the Mets, and Verlander may be the next player out the door,” wrote Rapp.
With the San Francisco Giants’ front office losing hope of clinching a postseason spot, perhaps they’d trade Verlander back to the Astros for one more chance at a third championship.
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