The New York Yankees can use more starting pitching depth ahead of the 2026 season, and a viable short-term option […]
The New York Yankees can use more starting pitching depth ahead of the 2026 season, and a viable short-term option is no longer available after the MLB legend returned to the team where he became a star.
This has been a frustrating offseason for NY Yankees fans. The franchise known for making big moves in the fall and winter to chase championships in the summer has been fairly quiet since the season ended. While they have re-signed key players from last year’s team, like Cody Bellinger, they will return with the same group that was soundly beaten by the Toronto Blue Jays in the Divisional Round.
A case can be made that the Yankees will again be a top team in the American League this summer. Especially with ace Gerrit Cole returning after missing 2025 following Tommy John surgery. However, Cole and fellow expensive starter Carlos Rodon could miss significant time early in the season. That is why they could use some depth in the rotation to fill the void until the pair of stars return.
One option that remained available into this week is future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander. While his 4-11 win-loss record last season wasn’t good, he still posted a 3.85 ERA and showed evidence late in the year that he can still be an impact pitcher in 2026. Furthermore, he wouldn’t come at an expensive cost.
Tigers reunite with Justin Verlander
However, he is no longer an option for the NY Yankees. ESPN’s Jeff Passan broke the news on Tuesday that the three-time Cy Young Award winner had agreed to a one-year deal with his first team in the big leagues, the Detroit Tigers.
Verlander played his first 12 and a half seasons in MLB in Detroit before being traded to the Houston Astros in 2017. During his time with the Tigers, he earned All-Star honors six times.
Verlander could have been a nice addition to help fill the Cole and Rodon void over the first couple of months of the season and brought another leader to the locker room. However, he will instead return to Detroit for what will likely be the final season of his illustrious career.
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