Justin Verlander and the San Francisco Giants agreed to a one-year, $15 million contract on Saturday.
A three-time AL Cy Young Award winner, Verlander will join a rotation led by All-Star right-hander Logan Webb.
Last year, Verlander went 5-6 with a 5.48 ERA in 17 starts for the AL West champion Houston Astros. He started the season on the injured list due to shoulder inflammation and was also on the IL from June 18 to August 21 because of neck discomfort.
Verlander, who will turn 42 next month, had a 9.26 ERA in five starts in September. He was left off the postseason roster by Houston, which was swept by Detroit in the AL Wild Card Series. He became a free agent after he failed to pitch 140 innings, which would have activated a $35 million player option.
“I definitely feel like I want to continue to pitch and compete and I’m not ready to step away yet,” Verlander said in October.
The Virginia native, who played college baseball at Old Dominion, has a career record of 262-147 with a 3.30 ERA in 526 major league starts. He leads active players in wins, strikeouts (3,416), innings (3,415 2/3), starts, and complete games (26). He has a 17-12 postseason record with a 3.58 ERA in 38 appearances.
Verlander spent his first 12-plus seasons with Detroit, where he won his first Cy Young Award and was named AL MVP in 2011 after going 24-5 with a 2.40 ERA.
He was traded to Houston in August 2017 and helped the team win its first World Series title that year. He won two more Cy Young Awards and another championship during his time with the Astros.
In December 2022, Verlander signed an $86.7 million, two-year contract with the New York Mets. He made 16 starts for New York before being traded back to Houston for two minor league players.
To make room for Verlander, the Giants designated catcher Blake Sabol for assignment.
In his first offseason since Buster Posey replaced Farhan Zaidi as president of baseball operations, San Francisco also signed shortstop Willy Adames to a $182 million, seven-year deal in December.
