The incredible transformation of Justin Brooks Verlander

Roger Clemens, Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson?

Spotrac estimates a payroll of $173.4M, however, that accounts for JV's $25M option (which, for the purposes of their calculator, is on the books). Say he gets a $36M AAV, that's a payroll of $185M (rounding). The luxury tax threshold is $233M. Leaving $10M aside (for the deadline), that's $38M in spending room available. Allows us to do a Jansen for Urquidy trade, go after Bell and bring back Brantley for another year.

 

Verlander's a luxury, but Crane and co can now afford it.

I want them to go full evil empire and try to buy a repeat. I want a LF, 1B, C and Verlander, and I want Crane to go to $250M. I want to keep all our pitching and run a 6-man rotation. And I want Luhnow as head of our new "evil operations" division.

 

Give him what he wants. Agree. That's the only smart move. He's the best pitcher in the game and you want that on your team, not the other. Click is smart enough to do it. This one is simple.

 

This isn't a Click call at all. Crane will make the decision and the negotiation. Crane will factor in the additional revenue for games Verlander plays in as part of the occasion.

 

The Verlander situation is interesting.

I will just drop a few numbers since he has arrived in Houston in 2017.

He missed the entire 2020 and 2021 season with surgery. There were some in the Astros front office upset he waited so long to have the surgery but you don't hear much talk about it now.

He has had three full seasons of work with the Astros.
In those three seasons he has won the Cy Young twice and finished second behind his teammate the other time.
He has twice lead baseball in starts since joining the Astros and innings once.
He has lead the league in WHIP twice since joining the Astros.

In the three full seasons he has played for the Astros and the end of the 2017 season, the Astros have gone to World Series three times and won two Championships.

Verlander in 2022 had one of the 4 lowest ERA's in the AL over the last 75 years.

Overall with the Astros he is:

61-19
2.25 era
187 era+
.80 whip

Even at his advanced age, his numbers are staggering.... the only names I can think of to compare them to are Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson and Warren Spahn.

 

I think everyone is also ignoring the relationship JV has w Dusty and what bringing Dusty back for another year means to JV. Did you see their embrace when Dusty left him in to earn his first ever WS win? JV was over the damn moon.

Legacy means too much to JV imo for him to walk away from a competitive offer here. He’s close w Crane, loves Dusty, obviously loves/is loved by his teammates, will continue competing for titles which in turn means he can keep achieving those HOF milestones.

 

Bro, some people think these kinds of pitchers grow on trees and want to spend the money on bats instead. LMAO!

 

Slight correction, he won it in '19 (finished ahead of Cole) and, presumably, '22. The year he lost, '18, he finished 2nd to Blake Snell because of the peripherals and advanced stats that some voters weighted more heavily versus the traditional metrics, IIRC.

Lastly, will take this chance to say thank you for all of your contributions to this board, @Nook !!

Go 'stros!!

 

Nook has sold me.
1 year, 27 million. Take it or leave it, Verlander.
I ain't got no money
I ain't got no car to take you on a date
I can't even buy you flowers
But together we could be the perfect soulmates!

 

He’s getting at least 30M a year and with a multi year deal so that would be wishful thinking. I think a reasonable deal would be 2/70m with an option for a 3rd year based on innings pitched.

 

yes, I know.

 

I just heard some comedy gold. On KFAN MN Sports talk radio they were speculating the Twins getting JV.

I emailed them that maybe they should sign Ben Verlander so they can say "We Got Verlander!"

 

If we are going all-in, Judge CF, Contreras C and Rizzo 1B. Then for good measure, JV and DeGrom. Should be doable for $170M/yr above current payroll.

ps Just playing the all in game with you.

Judge $37,936,277
Contreras $16,418,694
Rizzo $21,422,347
Verlander $45,336,103
DeGrom $45,111,765

 

Good song!

 

I heard the complete opposite last year when everyone was complaining on Twitter that Verlander wouldn't support the team etc etc </s>

 

I mostly think all the speculation about JV is moot.

It's more a will it happen or not happen scenario for me. If JV wants to return, he'll make it happen. the terms may not look anything like what anyone predicts.

 

All the glory to Christ.

 

Hope you're right.