At the MLB trade deadline, the Houston Astros reunited with veteran shortstop Carlos Correa in an incredible deadline deal with the Minnesota Twins. They picked up three years and $70 million of his deal at the expense of just minor league pitcher Matt Mikulski.
It was a heartwarming reunion between the Astros and Correa, and the Astros had a chance to reunite with another former Astro at the deadline. But, as Bob Nightengale of USA Today put it, the Astros passed on such an idea.
"They passed on the idea of trying to re-acquire Justin Verlander at the deadline." Nightengale writes.
It's a blunt assessment of the Astros potentially reacquiring Verlander. They previously made a huge trade during the 2017 season when they dealt Franklin Perez, Daz Cameron, and Jake Rogers to the Detroit Tigers for Verlander.
Then, after spending a little over four seasons in Houston, he left to join the New York Mets. Houston then re-acquired him in another trade, and he helped the Astros finish out a solid 2023 season.
MORE: Astros agree to blockbuster trade with Twins for Carlos Correa
But this season, with a chance to swing a third trade-deadline deal with the San Francisco Giants for Verlander, the Astros passed. They reunited with Correa and could still reunite with now free agent Ryan Pressly. But for Verlander, a reunion is no longer on the table.
During his time in Houston, Verlander was incredible. In 2022, he had a remarkable Cy Young season. He led the AL in wins with 18 and led all of MLB with a 1.75 ERA in 28 starts and 175 innings.
However, while he was incredible during his time with the Astros, he hasn't found the same success in San Francisco. He has a 4.53 ERA in 18 starts and has a 1-8 record. His first win didn't come until late July, highlighting how much of a struggle it's been for him.
Even though the Astros were in the market for starting pitching, as Nightengale put it, the Astros passed on the idea to re-acquire Verlander. Despite the success the two sides had together, the Astros moved forward without the 42-year-old at the deadline.
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