Justin Verlander’s insight into 2025 free agency will enrage Tigers fans

A year ago, Justin Verlander wanted back in Detroit. Not for a farewell tour. Not for nostalgia. Not for vibes. He wanted to pitch for a team that had just returned to the postseason, a team he helped build, a city he still feels deeply connected to.

And the Tigers essentially said, "No, thanks."

Fast forward to now, and the same front office that passed is once again scouring the market for starting pitching — only this time, the context has shifted in a way that makes the earlier decision feel far more damning.

Verlander finished 2025 pitching like… well, Justin Verlander again. Healthy. Adjusted. Dangerous. Over his final 13 starts with the San Francisco Giants, he posted a 2.60 ERA. Over his final six, a microscopic 1.76. That’s not sentimentality talking — that’s performance. That’s production. That’s exactly the type of “strong closing statement” Scott Harris has repeatedly said he prioritizes when evaluating pitchers.

And that’s where Tigers fans start grinding their teeth. Because Harris has been very consistent about this philosophy. Michael Lorenzen finished strong? Signed. Matthew Boyd closed well? Signed. Kenta Maeda? Same logic. Alex Cobb? Same logic again — and we all know how that one turned out.

Verlander, meanwhile, closed 2025 looking like a playoff-caliber starter again… and is still waiting on a call. That’s not a coincidence. That’s a contradiction.

Last winter, the Tigers framed their disinterest as a development decision. Younger arms needed innings. The rotation needed clarity. A 41-year-old with injury questions didn’t fit the plan.

But then, Detroit turned around and signed Cobb –– who never threw a pitch for the Tigers and whose career is likely over –– to a one-year, $15 million deal identical to the one Verlander got in San Francisco

Now, with spring training looming, Detroit is being openly linked to veteran arms like Nick Martinez, Chris Bassitt, Lucas Giolito and Jose Quintana. All useful pitchers. All reasonable fits. All imperfect.

And every single one of them invites the same question that will echo through Comerica Park if the rotation wobbles even slightly:

If you’re shopping in this aisle anyway… why was Justin Verlander off-limits?

A Justin Verlander reunion would make sense for the Tigers, as long as they didn't burn that bridge in 2025

The Tigers’ current rotation has upside, no doubt. Tarik Skubal is the best pitcher in baseball. Jack Flaherty has flashes. Reese Olson and Casey Mize have talent. Troy Melton and Jackson Jobe have promise.

But the rotation also has risk. Durability risk. Consistency risk. Depth risk. And Verlander — even at 42 — represents the exact hedge Detroit claims to be seeking. Someone who understands preparation at a historic level. Someone who knows how to adapt. Someone who has pitched behind aces before and doesn’t need to be “the guy” to matter.

And most importantly? Someone who finished last season proving his body can still handle it.

That’s the insight that stings. Verlander isn’t selling hope. He’s selling evidence. He made adjustments after his neck injury that, by his own account, unlocked another runway for his career. He’s not guessing if he can pitch at 43. He’s planning to pitch at 45.

This isn’t really about nostalgia, despite how easy that framing would be. It’s about process. It’s about alignment. It’s about a front office that values recent performance — until it doesn’t. That bets on upside — until it feels uncomfortable. That talks constantly about optionality — until a familiar name enters the room.

Verlander still talks about Detroit like it matters to him. The city. The teams. The shared rise. He sees the momentum again. He sees the Tigers being relevant again. He sees the atmosphere almost coming back.

And Tigers fans see a door that was shut too quickly — and might now be reopening just late enough to hurt.

Because if the Tigers sign another mid-rotation arm, if injuries pile up, if depth becomes an issue again, this won’t feel like a missed opportunity. It will feel like a self-inflicted wound. And Verlander, quietly pitching somewhere else, will be the reminder.