Tigers bringing back former ace Justin Verlander

Chris McCosky, The Detroit News on Feb 10, 2026

Published in Baseball

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LAKELAND, Fla. — It always seemed like a pipe dream. Justin Verlander coming back to Detroit, a storybook, full-circle ending to his first-ballot, Hall of Fame-worthy career. Too good to be true.

Until now.

The Tigers shocked the baseball world for the second time in as many weeks Tuesday, signing Verlander to a one-year deal worth $13 million, with $11 million being deferred.

Verlander, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, joins lefty Tarik Skubal in a season where he’s trying to win three Cy Young Awards in a row. How’s that for symmetry?

But Tigers president Scott Harris, who is expected to address the media Wednesday, didn’t make this move for sentimental reasons. The rotation in Detroit has gotten caught short the last two seasons because of injuries and insufficient depth. Harris has taken aggressive steps to making sure that doesn’t happen this year.

Along with Skubal, who is in final year of team control in Detroit, Verlander joins lefty Framber Valdez — his former teammate in Houston, who is expected to finalize a three-year, $115 million deal later this week — Jack Flaherty and Casey Mize in arguably the deepest rotation in the American League, if not the entire game.

The move, at least initially, pushes Reese Olson, Troy Melton, Drew Anderson and Keider Montero either to the second level of starters or, in the case of Anderson and Montero, possibly to the bullpen.

Quantity and quality.

Verlander, who will be 43 when he commences his 21st big league season, bounced back from an injury-plagued season in 2024 and a slow start last season to post a 3.83 ERA in 29 starts with the Giants.

He had a sub-3.0 ERA (2.99) after the All-Star break. He’s not the same power pitcher he was during his 13-year run with the Tigers. Still, he can run the four-seam fastball in at 93-94 mph, which is plenty firm enough to set up his primary out pitches — slider, change-up and curveball.

He also added a sweeper to his mix.

The Tigers now boast a pitching staff that includes active leader in wins (266) and strikeouts (2,553) in Verlander and the active saves leader in Kenley Jansen. Not to mention two, two-time Cy Young winners and two Triple Crown-winning pitchers in Skubal (2024) and Verlander (2011, the year he won the American League MVP and Cy Young).

Selected No. 2 overall by the Tigers in the 2004 MLB draft, Verlander spent 12 seasons with the Tigers (2005-17), fronting a rotation that helped Detroit make two World Series appearances (2006, 2012) and four straight postseason appearances from 2011-14.

Adding Verlander will require a corresponding move on the 40-man roster. It’s likely one of the injured players, possible right-hander Jackson Jobe who is recovering from Tommy John surgery), will be placed on the 60-day IL to clear a spot.