The defending World Series champion Houston Astros made perhaps the biggest trade of any team at the trade deadline on Tuesday when they re-acquired ace Justin Verlander from the New York Mets.
Verlander helped guide the Astros to two World Series titles during his first tenure with the club.
He left the team this past offseason and joined the Mets.
But as fate would have it, Verlander is now back with the Astros.
Verlander rejoins Framber Valdez and Cristian Javier in a powerful Astros rotation.
On Thursday, prior to their game against the New York Yankees, Verlander spoke to Ken Rosenthal about what it was like to return to the defending champions.
Justin Verlander talks with @Ken_Rosenthal about rejoining the Astros locker room today, and what it was like leaving the Mets. pic.twitter.com/9oxhDYqsBu
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) August 3, 2023
Verlander said it was a lot of fun to return to the Astros and walk back into the clubhouse.
He reflected on the relationships he built while he was previously with the team and all the memories that came with his first tenure in Houston.
The three-time Cy Young said that it truly a joy to see the excitement on his old teammates’ faces as he returned.
Verlander was asked about how tough it was for him to accept the fact that things didn’t work out with the Mets, and he said that as a player, he was always expecting things to turn around.
He knew that when David Robertson and Max Scherzer were dealt, things were not looking good for the Mets.
However, he did his best to remain positive despite the adversity the team was facing.
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