For the first time in nearly 20 years as a major league pitcher, Justin Verlander didn’t take an offseason break from throwing.
He needed to keep a baseball in his hand so his shoulder would stay healthy. He also needed the routine to keep a good rhythm.
“I’ve always been somebody who, I set down the ball, I don’t pick it up again for a few months and then I’ve always been very lucky that I just pick it up and start throwing,” Verlander said on Monday. “Well, at 41, that caught up with me. So that was an adjustment that I’ve made that I feel is paying big dividends already.”
The star right-hander finalized a one-year, $15 million contract with the San Francisco Giants last weekend, and he’s determined to show he can still pitch at a high level after a tough, injury-filled 2024 season.
Buster Posey, the Giants’ new president of baseball operations, and the team believe Verlander can still perform well, and they are counting on him to help them compete again in the talented NL West.
The three-time AL Cy Young Award winner said he’s “miles ahead” of where he was at this time last year and is trying not to overdo it as he prepares for spring training next month.
Verlander finished with a 5-6 record and a 5.48 ERA in 17 starts for the AL West champion Houston Astros last year. He started the season on the injured list due to shoulder inflammation and was on the IL again from June 18 to August 21 because of neck discomfort.
“Last year was difficult,” Verlander said. “It was a worst-case scenario for me. You could never get in a groove, pitched about as bad as I felt like I could. Positives were, I was able to learn a lot. You can’t play this game for very long if you don’t learn from injuries.”
Verlander’s contract includes a full no-trade clause and a hotel suite for road trips.
He could earn $200,000 for winning his second MVP award, $150,000 for finishing second in voting, and $50,000 for third. He would also earn similar bonuses for Cy Young Award voting.
His deal also includes bonuses of $100,000 for making the All-Star team, $150,000 for World Series MVP, and $100,000 for League Championship Series MVP.
Verlander still remembers the electric atmosphere in San Francisco during the 2012 World Series when the Giants swept his Detroit Tigers. That series included Posey on the other side, and now the retired star catcher was the one who recruited the veteran pitcher.
The Giants aren’t just adding Verlander to mentor their young pitchers but also to be a top starter alongside Logan Webb and Robbie Ray.
“Justin’s track record speaks for itself,” Posey said. “I was lucky enough to get to compete against him for a number of years and have always admired the way that he takes care of himself.
When we started having the conversation a couple of weeks ago it was very evident just how motivated he is, and you don’t get to the level of greatness that he’s accomplished in his career without having just the utmost fortitude and desire to be the best.”
