Major League Baseball

Mets sign a co-ace in Justin Verlander; what's next for them and the Astros?

Updated Dec. 5, 2022 7:33 p.m. ET

If you manage to replace a two-time Cy Young winner with a three-time Cy Young winner, it's rarely a bad outcome.

Just days after Jacob deGrom bid adieu to Queens, the Mets pivoted, swiftly and decisively, inking the one and only Justin Verlander to a two-year, $86 million pact with a vesting option for a third season.

Back in the Wilpon Ownership days, the Mets' administrative dark ages, deGrom's departure would have been code red; total cause for concern. There would have been no faith in the front office or ownership to redistribute that money for the betterment of the Mets. deGrom would have left, the team would have signed, like, Kyle Gibson and Mets fans would have lost their minds.

But it's a bright new world in Queens. Steve Cohen, the 96th-richest person on the planet, is the owner now and treats the club like his own passion project (which is better than other owners treating teams like their personal piggy banks, but that's a conversation for another day). Cohen's willingness to break open that proverbial piggy bank meant a calm and definitive response, and the Mets have the perfect deGrom replacement.

There's an argument to be made that over the next two seasons, Verlander will prove more valuable than deGrom. It's wild to call a 40-year-old pitcher "reliable" but that's exactly what the newest Met has proven himself to be besides his Tommy John injury. deGrom, on the other hand, made just 26 starts over the past two seasons.

Verlander will slot in as the co-ace alongside fellow future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer. The two generational hurlers spent five years in the Tigers rotation together from 2010 to 2014, and although their relationship remained professional, by most accounts, they haven't exactly remained the best of friends.

Both men are comically intense, fiercely independent and unwaveringly hard-headed. One can easily envision how that dynamic might have led to the occasional stepping on toes. Mets manager Buck Showalter might be better suited than anyone else on earth to keep the two alpha males from butting heads this season, but how Verlander and Scherzer coexist in Queens for the next two seasons is a real storyline to watch.

For Verlander, this contract is effectively the beginning of his third and final act as a big-leaguer. His 13 years in Detroit always will define him, and even still, it's likely the old English D finds its way onto his Cooperstown plaque one day. The five years in Houston were a statement that Verlander was indeed a different animal, playing under a different aging curve than everyone else. Now comes the grand finale, a soiree in the Big Apple.

Verlander has been vocal about his desire to pitch until he's 45. From most big leaguers, that'd be laughable, hopelessly optimistic, but for The Tight Pants King, it's a realistic possibility. Father Time is forever undefeated, but Verlander has proved himself a worthy opponent.

His tenure in Houston — two Cy Youngs, two World Series titles, an incredible comeback from Tommy John — was the stuff of legend. In 102 starts with the Astros, he tossed 652 innings with a sparkling 2.26 ERA. Even though he's made huge money, Verlander never will have to purchase a beverage in East Texas ever again.

'Whatever we need to do to win, we're able to do it!' - Justin Verlander talks World Series victory, Dusty Baker, and more

Justin Verlander stops by to talk with the "MLB on FOX" crew about winning the World Series and Dusty Baker finally getting that special moment with the Houston Astros.

Since the confetti fell from Minute Maid Park a month ago, Verlander's departure seemed like a foregone conclusion, baked into Houston's offseason plans. The 2022 champs acted preemptively, signing first baseman José Abreu to a three-year pact last week. They're also the leaders in the clubhouse on free-agent backstop Willson Contreras.

So don't expect Astros owner Jim Crane — he seems to be running baseball operations after the fallout from the James Click saga — to fill the Verlander void like for like. A megadeal for Carlos Rodón, the top hurler left on the market, would be surprising. Houston's projected rotation (Framber Valdez, Christian Javier, Lance McCullers Jr., Luis Garcia, José Urquidy and Hunter Brown) might still be the best in the American League, even without Verlander. Adding Contreras, a depth starter and making a trade for an outfielder seems like the most likely course forward for the GM-less Astros.

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Jake Mintz, the louder half of @CespedesBBQ is a baseball writer for FOX Sports. He’s an Orioles fan living in New York City, and thus, he leads a lonely existence most Octobers. If he’s not watching baseball, he’s almost certainly riding his bike. Follow him on Twitter at @Jake_Mintz.