Tigers insider rooting for Justin Verlander reunion might change fans' minds

"Will Justin Verlander finish his career where he started it?" is a tired question at this point. Sure, it's still a romantic idea. The Tigers never won a World Series when their rotation had two future Hall of Famers in it, and now they're in their best position to compete since 2014. They let Max Scherzer walk, and they traded Verlander in the midst of a rebuild.

Getting either back might be a nice, poetic bookend, but it's felt like far from a real solution to the problems fans have identified. Tarik Skubal, Jack Flaherty, and Casey Mize are all likely to leave in free agency next season. The Tigers need a No. 2 behind Skubal who could easily become a No. 1 after he leaves, and neither soon-to-be 43-year-old Justin Verlander nor 41-year-old Max Scherzer are that guy anymore.

However, The Athletic's Cody Stavenhagen made a case for a Verlander-Tigers reunion. He wrote, "I usually haven't been a fan of bringing back Verlander. [...] This time, though, I'm on board with the idea."

He went on to explain that the Tigers are exploring mid-market pitching options, and Verlander looked something like his old self in his last 13 starts of 2025.

Cody Stavenhagen made a case for the Tigers exploring a reunion with Justin Verlander

Stavenhagen continued, "Verlander would not only bring fans to the park but could also still have better upside than many of the names they have been linked to. He's going to be 43 years old, but he had a 2.60 ERA in his final 13 starts last season. [...] At this point in their competitive cycle, I wonder if the young Tigers could benefit from adding someone with Verlander's experience and gravitas."

Verlander signed a one-year, $15 million contract with the Giants last year, and he could go for less in 2026 (Evan Woodbery of MLive suggested even under $10 million), given his age and his recent injury history.

It's still not what fans think the Tigers truly need, and Stavenhagen pointed out that Verlander starts had the potential to turn into a "sideshow," but the Tigers have barely done anything that fans thought they needed this offseason.

We're all scarred by the Alex Cobb debacle — and Verlander's even older than Cobb. But Verlander at 42 was still better than Cobb at 35, his last mostly-healthy season.

And if we have to give anyone the benefit of the doubt, shouldn't it be Verlander?