PALLILO POINTS
The Astros had an exciting weekend with Justin Verlander throwing a no-hitter on Sunday, but not everything from the weekend was positive for Houston.
Roberto Osuna continues to struggle, and Ryan Pressly won't be back from injury for quite some time.
ESPN 97.5's Charlie Pallilo shares his thoughts on the Astros bullpen, and what A.J. Hinch needs to do with Roberto Osuna.
Well, the deal is official, and Justin Verlander is a Houston Astro once again. What a day for Houston sports fans!
On the day of the trade deadline, GM Dana Brown pulled the trigger, sending prospects Drew Gilbert and Ryan Clifford to the New York Mets for Justin Verlander.
The Mets are also picking up a significant amount of his salary.
So that's $35 million of the $59M he's owed for '23-24.
Then $17.5M if he vests the 2025 option.
Which would bring the total paid to have Scherzer/Verlander pitch in the AL West to just over $90 million ... PLUS TAX! https://t.co/zjjsJRuLAy
— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) August 1, 2023
And with Verlander under contract through 2024, and with a vesting option for 2025, the Astros have him under team control for the next several years. This is huge for the Astros because Lance McCullers Jr. and Luis Garcia are not expected to be available at the start of next season.
Here's another perk for the Astros with JV returning. The 'Stros have seen their current rotation wear down over the season, with Cristian Javier, Framber Valdez, and Hunter Brown experiencing some fatigue. Houston could implement a six-man rotation from time to time to keep these guys fresh for the playoff push.
One other thing to consider is what hat JV will wear when he is inducted into the Hall of Fame? With him rejoining the team, will that impact his decision?
Be sure to watch the video above as we discuss all the implications of Verlander returning and what the departures of Drew Gilbert and Ryan Clifford could mean for Kyle Tucker and Chas McCormick.
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