The New York Mets are still in the market for a frontline starter to anchor the starting rotation and there are still several premier starting pitchers available in free agency.
Left-hander Framber Valdez is the biggest name remaining and has been rumored to be on the Mets’ radar after the franchise missed out on right-handers Dylan Cease, Michael King and Tatsuya Imai this offseason. While Valdez would be an excellent fit for the Mets, they need a backup plan if they miss out on him as well.
So, if Valdez lands elsewhere, should New York consider reuniting with future Hall of Fame right-hander Justin Verlander for 2026?
Verlander’s resume speaks for itself. The 43-year-old is a three-time Cy Young winner, nine-time All-Star, two-time World Series champion, triple crown winner and the 2011 Most Valuable Player. The guy is a surefire first ballot Hall of Famer.
Verlander made 16 starts for the Mets in 2023, going 6-5 with a 3.15 ERA and 1.15 WHIP over 94.1 innings after winning his third Cy Young award in 2022.
He had a rough first half with the San Francisco Giants last season, but bounced back in the second half and was lights-out after making a tweak to his pitch arsenal.
“Verlander struggled through the worst season of his career in 2024 while pitching for the Astros, and his first half with the Giants in ’25 did little to inspire optimism,” MLB.com’s Thomas Harrigan wrote Saturday. “However, Verlander made some notable adjustments that sparked an impressive resurgence last summer. Over his final 13 starts, Verlander pitched to a 2.60 ERA with a 3.36 FIP, 70 strikeouts and 24 walks in 72 2/3 innings.
“The biggest change he made? Introducing a sweeper to his arsenal that became a real weapon as the year progressed. The pitch held opponents to a .053 batting average (3-for-57), the lowest mark against any individual offering in MLB (min. 50 PAs). Verlander may no longer be a Cy Young contender, but last year’s strong finish shows that he still has something left in the tank.”
I believe that the Mets would be doing a service for their young pitchers (Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong, Brandon Sproat) by bringing Verlander back to the club if they can’t land Valdez.
Even just one season’s worth of picking Verlander’s brain about pitching would do wonders for them and he would be the perfect mentor for those guys.
If I was president of baseball operations/general manager David Stearns, I’d strongly consider signing him in what could be Verlander’s last hoorah.