Tigers officially have one final chance to give franchise legend a proper send-off

Although there were some rumblings about the Tigers re-signing Justin Verlander in the offseason to give him a poetic bookend to his career, it was mostly wishful thinking from some fans rather than anything substantial, and there wasn't unanimous excitement among fans about the idea.

Verlander was coming off a 5.48 ERA, injury-shortened season with the Astros. Would sentimentality really have been enough for the Tigers to bring him back despite a clear decline?

The Tigers did end up going out to get a veteran pitcher with a recent history of injury in Alex Cobb, and the fact that both he and Verlander are making the same amount of money this season ($15 million) has become a very tough pill for fans to swallow.

Cobb has not pitched (and will never pitch) in a Tigers uniform. Despite a rocky first four months with the Giants, Verlander has a 0.36 ERA in his last four starts.

On Wednesday, he pitched seven scoreless innings against the Diamondbacks and confirmed after the game that he plans on seeking out a new contract when his one-year deal with the Giants is up. Could 2026 be the year the Tigers finally get their guy back?

Tigers have opportunity to bring back Justin Verlander after he announces intention to pitch in 2026

The Tigers clearly love to bring in old pitchers if Cobb, Charlie Morton, Paul Sewald, and Rafael Montero are any indication. It makes sense for the thrifty Tigers front office — older guys are cheaper guys — and even active future Hall of Famers like Verlander, Max Scherzer, and Clayton Kershaw are only making around $15 or $16 million a year. Scherzer isn't doing so hot, but Verlander and Kershaw are doing a lot for the "age is just a number" crowd.

There was an emotional argument to bring Verlander back last offseason, but that's sort of where it ended. Now that he's looking like he's back to vintage form and the Tigers have an established affinity for veterans they can sign to one-year deals, maybe it should be a no-brainer. Even with Verlander's early struggles, he still has a better ERA on the year than Jack Flaherty.

Verlander has consistently shot down questions about retirement — and why should he stop if he still has gas in the tank? — but it does feel like he's getting there, even if it won't be after this season. The Tigers can and probably should bring him back for one last hurrah, especially now that they might have a team that can win around him again.