Along with Jacob deGrom and Carlos Rodon, Justin Verlander headlines a stacked class of free agent starting pitchers.
After two seasons on the shelf, Verlander came back stronger in 2022, posting a 1.75 ERA and winning his third American League Cy Young Award in what could prove to be his final season in a Houston Astros uniform.
He also won Game 5 of the World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies.
But after he opted out of his deal with Houston, the veteran right-hander has a ton of teams battling it out for his services.
On MLB Network, Jon Morosi made a bold prediction, saying that he believes the Los Angeles Dodgers are in the best position to land the 39-year-old ace.
"I believe the Dodgers have the best chance at this moment to sign Justin Verlander." 👀
– @jonmorosi | #MLBNHotStove pic.twitter.com/fK8qIarXaC
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) November 29, 2022
Verlander To Dodgers A Possibility
The Dodgers may be the team that needs him, or any ace the most.
Even with Julio Urias posting a National League-best 2.16 ERA and a dominant season from Tony Gonsolin, the Dodgers are in need of some reinforcements.
Clayton Kershaw, while still effective, is past his prime, and Walker Buehler is out until 2024 recovering from Tommy John surgery.
This puts the Dodgers in a great position to try and land Verlander.
They met with him yesterday after he had previously met with the New York Mets.
The Dodgers do have the financial resources to pull off a move like this, especially if it’s a shorter-term deal with a higher AAV.
The right-hander is soon to be 40 years of age, but even so, he remains effective and would be an impactful addition for the Dodgers.
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