Feb 10, 2026, 01:44 PM ET
Three-time Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander is returning to the team with which he started his career, signing a one-year, $13 million contract with the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday.
Verlander, who turns 43 on Feb. 20, spent his first 13 seasons with the Tigers.
He is considered perhaps the best pitcher of his generation, with the most innings pitched, strikeouts and wins among active players.
Verlander's 266 victories are tied with Bob Feller and Eppa Rixey for 34th on baseball's career list, while his 3,553 career strikeouts are eighth and closely trailing Don Sutton with 3,574.
He now joins a Tigers rotation that boasts two-time defending American League Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal and free agent acquisition Framber Valdez, who was a teammate of Verlander's with the Houston Astros during the 2017-18 seasons.
The nine-time All-Star said he wanted to return for a 21st major league season after experiencing a wild swing of highs and lows with the San Francisco Giants in 2025.
The right-hander signed a $15 million, one-year contract in January, went a team-record 16 starts before registering a win and then wrapped it up with career start No. 555, which ranks 27th all-time.
Verlander was 0-8 through his first 16 starts, but he gave up only nine earned runs over 41⅓ innings (1.96 ERA) in his last seven. Overall, he went 4-11 with a 3.85 ERA with 137 strikeouts in 152 innings pitched.
After a dominant 13-year stretch with the Tigers, Verlander found a second life after joining the Astros in 2017. He won Cy Youngs in 2019 and 2022 -- and after the latter signed a two-year, $86.6 million contract with the New York Mets. Verlander spent 16 starts with the Mets before being traded back to the Astros in August 2023.
Over his career, Verlander is 266-158 with a 3.32 ERA over 3,567⅔ innings. He has struck out 3,553 batters, walked 1,004 and won a pair of World Series with the Astros.
ESPN's Jeff Passan and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
