The Detroit Tigers have signed veteran pitcher Justin Verlander to a one-year, $13 million contract for the 2026 season, reuniting the future Hall of Famer with the franchise where he began his career. The deal includes $2 million in base salary and $11 million deferred starting in 2030. Verlander joins a strong rotation led by Tarik Skubal and Framber Valdez as the team aims for a third consecutive postseason appearance.
The Detroit Tigers announced the signing of Justin Verlander on Tuesday, marking a homecoming for the pitcher who spent the first 12-plus seasons of his major league career with the club. Drafted second overall out of Old Dominion University in 2004, Verlander debuted in 2005 and quickly became a cornerstone of the franchise. During his initial tenure, he compiled 183 wins and 56.6 WAR, earned American League Rookie of the Year honors in 2006, and won the AL Cy Young and MVP awards in 2011 after leading the league with 24 wins, 250 strikeouts, and a 2.40 ERA. The Tigers reached five postseasons with Verlander, including a World Series pennant in his rookie year.
Verlander's time in Detroit ended in 2017 when he was traded to the Houston Astros, where he captured two more Cy Young awards and a World Series title in 2017. Entering 2026, Verlander has 266 career wins, 82.2 WAR, and 3,553 strikeouts, with 2,373 of those strikeouts coming against Tigers opponents, placing him 307 behind Mickey Lolich's franchise record.
The 42-year-old right-hander, who turns 43 on February 20, comes off a 2025 season with the San Francisco Giants where he posted a 3.85 ERA over 29 starts and 152 innings, finishing with a strong stretch of 2.60 ERA in his final 13 outings. He reunites with manager A.J. Hinch and former Astros teammate Framber Valdez, recently signed to a three-year, $115 million deal. The rotation also features back-to-back AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal, Jack Flaherty, and Casey Mize, providing depth amid injuries: Reese Olson will miss the entire 2026 season following shoulder surgery, and prospect Jackson Jobe is sidelined most of the year after Tommy John surgery.
This move pushes the Tigers into luxury tax territory for the first time, signaling their commitment to contending in the AL Central.
