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The New York Mets made a big splash on Monday morning, coming to terms with ace starting pitcher Justin Verlander to replace deGrom at the top of the team's rotation after the latter defected to the Texas Rangers on a five-year deal.
Verlander, a Virginia native from Manakin-Sabot, signed a two-year, $86 million pact with the Mets, with a vesting option for a third season, Jon Heyman reported to the New York Post.
The AL Cy Young winner fills a gaping hole for the Mets, who lost three-fifths of its starting rotation to free agency.
Now 39 years old, Verlander continues to defy Father Time, winning the AL's top pitching honor last season after sitting out 2021 for Tommy John surgery.
Verlander, who also was a star at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, will head a rotation that is expected to include fellow ace and former teammate Max Scherzer, as well as incumbent starters Carlos Carrasco, David Peterson, and Tylor Megill.
In 2021, while still recovering from Tommy John, Verlander resumed his dominance with an 18-4 record, 1.75 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, and amassing a whopping 185 strikeouts versus just 29 walks in 175 innings.
During his illustrious career that has spanned nearly two decades with the Detroit Tigers and then Houston Astros, Verlander has won a Rookie of the Year Award, three Cy Young awards, was the 2022 Comeback Player of the Year, and an MVP in 2011, when he also notched the “Triple Crown of Pitching."
He has also thrown three no-hitters, tied with Larry Corcoran, Cy Young, and Bob Feller for the third most ever, behind only Sandy Koufax (four) and flamethrower Nolan Ryan (seven).
The Mets were able to outbid other suitors for Verlander's services with owner Steve Cohen's cash, including the Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers, Baltimore Orioles, and several "mystery teams" that have not been named.
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