Ben Verlander teases Justin Verlander's return to Tigers in free agency

In his American League Cy Young Award-winning 2024 season, Tarik Skubal did things that no Detroit Tigers pitcher had done since Justin Verlander. It got Tigers fans reminiscing about Verlander's 12 legendary seasons in Detroit ... and wondering about the possibility of a reunion.

On the Nov. 18 episode of the Detroit Free Press' "Days of Roar" podcast, Evan Petzold and Mark Gorosh welcomed Ben Verlander, an analyst for FOX Sports and the brother of Justin, to talk about the Jack Flaherty trade, watching the Tigers advance to the postseason 2024, and much more.

Of course, they would be remiss if they didn't ask the question on every Tigers fan's mind: would Justin ever consider coming back to play in Detroit?

Ben admitted that his answer to that question might have been different as recently as last year. Justin, who turns 42 in February, is less focused on earning potential at this point in his career than he is on having a chance to win; and perhaps the Tigers' recent success could persuade him to give them a hometown discount and finish out his MLB career where he started it.

"The team has seemingly turned a corner," Ben said of the Tigers. "They've got a very, very young pitching rotation that includes a top-of-the-line guy that in my opinion is the best pitcher in baseball... And do i think there's a chance? I would say yeah, I do think there's a chance. The team is getting better, he's getting later in his career, and it's a place that means a ton to him. I don't know the answer. I don't know for sure if it'll happen or not. I have no idea. But I would say it's certainly a chance."

Ben Verlander teases Justin Verlander's return to Tigers in free agency, chance to team up with Tarik Skubal

If Justin were to end up back in Detroit, this time around, he'd have the chance to mentor and work alongside a fellow Cy Young Award winner in Skubal. Ben believes that could be a major selling point for his brother.

"I do think that plays a factor in things," Ben said. "He plays the veteran role really well. He was doing that when he went to Houston... I think he really likes that role. Tarik Skubal is the ultimate guy that you want to go in and be like, 'Look, you've got the stuff right now, but I have the mentality and always will. So, let's work together.' And that would be really cool."

Now in the twilight of a legendary career, Justin is a virtual lock for the Hall of Fame, and it sure would be nice to see him once again don the uniform that he wore during his formative Major League years. But whether he ends up back in Detroit or not, he will always have a special place in the hearts of Tigers fans.

"The age-old question is what hat does he go in the hall of fame wearing?" Ben said. "And I think that's said for a reason. He hasn't played for Detroit in a long time, but that was home for the longest time in his career. He became a Hall of Famer in Detroit, and that place will always mean a ton to him. Detroit will always mean a ton to me and the entire Verlander family."

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