San Francisco Giants SP Justin Verlander is too frustrated with his immediate surroundings to totally soak in celebrating reaching 3,500 career strikeouts.
Following an 8-0 loss to the Washington Nationals at home on Sunday, Verlander shifted the blame from himself, touting his measurables as comparable to his 2022 Cy Young season with the Houston Astros.
He did acknowledge the journey to 3.5K Ks, however, in what was a bittersweet message to reporters.
“I was happy to get there, happy to have a moment with the fans. Cool milestone. I really appreciate what it’s taken to get there,” Verlander said, per ESPN.
“Stuff’s great, stuff’s fine. I’ve spent a lot of the season looking at comparables. It’s right on par, literally almost up and down the board, with [2022] when I won the Cy Young. So, I think the stuff is just fine. The results have been frustrating.”
That doesn’t sound like someone who’s staying in San Francisco in 2026. Not after signing a one-year deal with a Giants team whose postseason hopes have faded.
Justin Verlander has endless options in MLB free agency
Even at the age of 42, Verlander is remaining relevant as a top-line starter. He’ll have a robust free agent market as he continues to throw unhittable stuff from the mound.
A return to the Houston Astros, where he achieved his greatest team success, is seemingly always on the table. The Astros passed on re-acquiring Verlander from the Giants at the trade deadline, signaling either a permanent parting of ways or having the knowledge not to give up assets to land him.
Of course, any player of Verlander’s caliber has the invite to the Los Angeles Dodgers. There’s no better place for one last ring-chase than the City of Angels, though to be clear, not the ones from Anaheim.
Then there’s the New York Yankees, whose starting pitching is in shambles. Verlander has been a thorn in the Yanks’ side since his days with the Detroit Tigers and would be the kind of turn-the-page addition Brian Cashman may need with freed-up spending money from a potential free agent exodus, Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt chief among them, this offseason.
Funny enough, all of those traits make him a potential option for the Boston Red Sox as well.
Verlander has options this coming offseason. A good number of them have more to offer him than the Giants right now.
Follow the money, but follow the happiness. Verlander has none in the Bay Area right now, making a split seem almost like a foregone conclusion.
