As the offseason ticks along, more and more free agent dominos begin to fall. With the new year around the corner, the Yankees likely still have some moving to do, particularly when it comes to filling
the early season voids in the rotation. Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón are both expected to begin the 2026 season on the injured list, so the Yankees will likely look for some reinforcements to lean on to open the season.
With bigger names like Dylan Cease and Michael King now off the board, and unclear interest in Tatsuya Imai, a top-dollar signing may not be likely, making a supplementary rotation move a real possibility. Despite his lengthy and hugely-impressive resume — nine All-Star selections, three Cy Young Awards, an MVP, and two World Series rings — Justin Verlander could be a reasonable fit for such a move.
2025 Statistics: 29 games started, 152 IP, 8-9, 3.85 ERA (103 ERA+), 3.85 FIP, 4.57 xFIP, 20.7% K%, 7.9% BB%, 1.36 WHIP, 2.2 fWAR
2026 FanGraphs Depths Charts Projections: 26 games started, 143 IP, 10-12, 4.44 ERA, 4.50 FIP, 19.7% K%, 7.3% BB%, 1.30 WHIP, 1.6 fWAR
Verlander played in his 20th Major League season in 2025, at the age of 42, doing so at an overall level that continues to make him a serviceable starter after two decades on the mound. It has been a long and altogether excellent career for the future Hall of Famer, beginning with an electric 12-and-a-half years with the Tigers, which featured a Rookie of the Year Award, a Cy Young, an MVP, and a bevy of All-Star selections at top tier finishes in Cy Young voting. He was traded to Houston in 2017, and the dominance continued, featuring a couple more Cy Young Awards, and his first two World Series rings.
The 2024 campaign, his last with the Astros after a brief detour with the Mets, showed the first real signs of decline for the veteran — nothing to be ashamed of having passed his 40th birthday by that point. He wasn’t done, however, as he signed a one-year $15 million contract with the Giants for his age-42 season. Surprisingly (considering the 42-ness of it all), but maybe not too much (considering of the Verlander-ness of it all), the right-hander was solid across 29 starts for San Francisco. The first half was bumpier and Verlander seemed like he could be on his way to retirement, but his second half was quite nice, with a 2.99 ERA and just six homers allowed in 75.1 innings.
Verlander is, unsurprisingly, not the same pitcher he was at his peak. He is no longer pumping upper-90s in the eighth inning of games, instead settling for a fastball sitting around 94 mph. Regardless, after what seems to be an adjustment period, he is making do just fine.
Despite the diminished stuff, he still managed a respectable 3.85 ERA and a perfectly matching FIP in his 152 innings on the mound last season. There are things to worry about, naturally, like his unconvincing strikeout rates over the last few seasons, and a 2025 walk rate that was his highest in nearly a decade (albeit a 3.1 BB/9, not ruinous). These trends don’t necessarily pair well with a pitcher who’s now well into his forties with a diminishing repertoire. With that being said, Verlander has also been a great enough pitcher for a long enough stretch that he’s earned some trust, and it may have to be seen to truly believe that he doesn’t have any more quality innings in him.
The combination of his bounce-back season and the mere fact of his age suggests he’ll probably end up with a contract very similar to the one he signed last offseason. Is there a fit with the Yankees? It would be fair to suggest that there could be one. Signing Verlander would be a relatively low-risk choice in terms of finances and commitment and the floor is likely higher than most players of his current ability on the market — though there is, at this point, the risk that he’ll just be done one day. The smaller home ballpark of Yankee Stadium compared to San Francisco’s Oracle Park would also be adjustment as well, and FanGraphs’ Ben Clemens did find distinct differences in how he pitched there compared to on the road.
The Yankees are heading into the new year with some questions in their rotation, particularly for the early part of the season. A smaller-scale move, like a one-year deal for a veteran starter, could be in the realm of possibility for the Bombers. Signing a 43-year-old could result in a large variety of outcomes, but then again, this is Justin Verlander. Maybe he’ll just be around forever.
