While the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline typically brings about a flurry of activity, the month of August presents teams with a second opportunity to tinker with their roster ahead of the playoffs.
This season, Justin Verlander was among the big-name players who became available after clearing revocable waivers. Much like the time leading up to July’s trade deadline, there was back-and-forth from the Detroit Tigers on whether they would forge ahead with trading their former ace.
The possibility gained some traction Thursday morning when the Tigers traded Justin Upton to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. It signaled the start of a rebuild for Detroit.
They took another step in that direction a minute before the 9 p.m. PT deadline by reaching an agreement to trade Verlander to the Houston Astros, per Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press:
The Tigers have traded Justin Verlander to the Astros, I'm told.
— anthony fenech (@anthonyfenech) September 1, 2017
According to Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball, the Tigers are receiving Daz Cameron, Franklin Perez and Jake Rogers in exchange for Verlander:
perez, cameron and rodgers go to detroit for JV
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) September 1, 2017
In addition to the veteran starter, the Tigers are sending cash considerations to the Astros, via Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports:
Sources: Tigers are sending significant money to Houston as part of the Verlander deal. Believed to be at least $10 million.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) September 1, 2017
Prior to the Los Angeles Dodgers acquiring Yu Darvish from the Texas Rangers, they were among the several teams connected to Verlander. The Dodgers, like other clubs, reportedly were hesitant to take on an aging starter with an exorbitant contract.
Verlander’s arrival in Houston presumably sits well within the clubhouse, as Dallas Keuchel was one of multiple players to voice his disappointment in the organization’s failure to make an impact trade last month.
In order for the Tigers to move Verlander, he agreed to waive his no-trade clause. The 34-year-old is owed $56 million over the next two seasons, plus has a $20 million vesting option for 2020.
Verlander this season is 10-8 with a 3.82 ERA, 4.04 FIP and 1.28 WHIP. Despite the down season by Verlander’s standards, Curtis Granderson argued his former teammate still had plenty to offer, particularly if he joined a contending team.
