Inside the Article:
When the Detroit Tigers selected Justin Verlander in the 1st Round of the 2004 MLB Draft, the hope was that he would eventually develop into a No. 1 starter. Well, as we know, Verlander did much more than that, as he not only became one of the best pitchers in baseball, but he won an MVP award, which is very difficult for a pitcher to accomplish. Unfortunately, though he came close, Verlander was never able to lead the Tigers to a World Series title, and he was eventually traded to the Houston Astros. During a recent conversation with the Detroit News, he talked about being traded, and how he wishes that it had worked out for the Tigers, as it did the Astros.
Key Points
- Justin Verlander exceeded expectations by becoming one of the best pitchers in baseball after being drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 1st round of the 2004 MLB Draft.
- Despite his success, Verlander was not able to lead the Tigers to a World Series title before being traded to the Houston Astros.
- Verlander expressed his wish that the trade had worked out for the Tigers as it did for the Astros during a recent conversation with the Detroit News.
Justin Verlander wishes trade would have worked out better for Detroit Tigers
During a recent talk with Lynn Henning of the Detroit News, Verlander talked about being traded to the Astros back in 2017, and how he wishes the trade would have been a “win-win” for both teams involved.
“Oh, man, that’s not fair,” said Verlander when asked if the Tigers did him a favor by trading him to the Astros. “Obviously, Detroit was a wonderful chapter in my career.
“But, looking back, they weren’t going to be a winning team. And I like to have the opportunity to win.
“This is a business,” continued Verlander, his voice kicking up an octave. “They were going to try and make a trade and get as many pieces for me as they could.
“I think it’s clear now, looking back, probably one team benefited more than the other. But nobody could have known that at the time.”
“I think everyone wishes it could have been a win-win trade,” Verlander said. “I wish those guys nothing but the best, man.
“Nothing but the best.”
Bottom Line: Things have worked out better for Verlander and the Astros than for the Tigers
Since being traded to the Astros, Verlander has been absolutely brilliant, including winning the Cy Young award in 2019 and 2022. More importantly, he won two World Series titles with the Astros. Unfortunately, things have not gone well at all for the Tigers since they traded Verlander, as the return package of Franklin Perez, Daz Cameron, and Jake Rogers has left much to be desired (that is putting it kindly). Now, Verlander has joined another former Tigers pitcher, Max Scherzer, on the New York Mets, where they hope to win a World Series together in 2023.
