MLB Rumors: Justin Verlander Meeting With NL Contender

Just as the Houston Astros land themselves a big new free agent signee, they've gotten the news that their Cy Young Award winner, Justin Verlander, is off taking a free agent meeting today with a team that could very well steal him away: the deep-pocketed Los Angeles Dodgers.

Word is Dodgers are meeting with Justin Verlander today. Would fit their preference for big talents on short-term deals (with of course very high AAV). Both NY teams interested and of course incumbent Astros.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 28, 2022

As noted by MLB Insider Jon Heyman, Verlander met with the Dodgers in LA today, and they are quite adept at landing "big talents on short-term deals... with very high (average annual values)."

The Dodgers are in need of another ace, what with Walker Buehler out for likely the entire 2023 season recovering from Tommy John surgery. 

Verlander, who'll turn 40 before next season, has said he wants to play until age 45. He opted out of a $25M player option with the Houston Astros for 2023, knowing full well that after garnering his 3rd Cy Young Award with a shocking 1.75 ERA this past season that he'll earn multiple times that in free agency. 

Word is that Verlander will want a deal similar to the one the New York Mets gave Max Scherzer, then 37, last winter. It was a 3-year deal worth $130M and a record-setting AAV of $43M. Verlander is in an extremely similar situation to the one Scherzer was in on the market last year, so it's a reasonable expectation. 

The Mets, if they're unable to keep Jacob deGrom, are another team in on Verlander, as well as the New York Yankees who almost landed him last offseason with a similar offer to the Astros'. 

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