Height
6'5"
Weight
240 lbs
Age
43
College
Old Dominion
Draft
2004, Rd 1, #2
Experience
20 yrs
Bats/Throws
R/R
Fan Verdict
Grade this player:
Career StatsB+
| Year | Team | GP | ERA | W-L | K | WHIP | IP | SV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Career |  | 556 | 3.331529 | 266-159 | 3554 | 1.1362703 | 0.0 | 0 |
Current Contract
Length
1 year
Total Value
$13.0M
Guaranteed
$7.8M
AAV
$13.0M/yr
Contract Value Index (CVI)
Verlander's one-year, $13M AAV deal earns a D+ CVI despite his B+ performance grade, reflecting legitimate concerns about investing in a 43-year-old pitcher two decades into his career. While his on-field production still grades as above-average, the media narrative consistently questions whether he has elite stuff remaining, with headlines pointing to missing velocity and effectiveness issues that suggest decline may finally be setting in. At $13M for a longtime veteran with legitimate durability concerns, Detroit is paying starter money for what increasingly looks like a high-risk proposition rather than a reliable rotation anchor. The disconnect between his solid performance metrics and the concerning optics around his age and recent injury history creates an uncomfortable investment scenario where the Tigers are essentially betting against Father Time. Media coverage treats this as a nostalgic homecoming rather than a strategic rotation upgrade, framing Verlander more as a question mark than a solution for Detroit's pitching needs. The one-year term provides some protection against long-term risk, but even a single season at this salary feels like an overpay for a pitcher whose best days appear definitively behind him.
Fan & Media Sentiment
The narrative around Justin Verlander's Detroit homecoming is caught between nostalgic optimism and harsh reality checks, with media coverage increasingly skeptical about whether the future Hall of Famer has anything left in the tank. Headlines consistently question his elite status, pointing to diminished velocity and concerning effectiveness metrics that suggest Father Time may finally be catching up to the 41-year-old ace. The durability concerns are legitimate — two decades of professional pitching takes its toll, and recent injury history has media outlets treating him more as a sentimental signing than a franchise cornerstone. What's particularly telling is the disconnect between fan sentiment, which remains cautiously hopeful about the homecoming story, and media coverage that views him as a question mark rather than an answer for Detroit's rotation needs. His actual production tells a different story entirely, with performance metrics that still grade out as elite despite the concerning optics. The narrative would shift dramatically if Verlander can string together a healthy stretch while maintaining his trademark competitiveness, but right now public opinion sits in that uncomfortable middle ground where nostalgia battles pragmatism. This sentiment grade reflects a fanbase and media corps that wants to believe but increasingly struggles to ignore the warning signs of decline.
Transaction History
News & Buzz
Live Discussion
Auto-moderated fan forum with 5-minute speaker turns
Discussion
Loading discussion...