Verlander is now off the market but it took a $25 million payday and an option for another a year from now to get him off the market.
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Astros have re-signed their ace to a lucrative deal that might turn the market on its head. The Angels had the first big signing of the offseason by giving a one-year deal to Noah Syndergaard worth $21 million. It’s also worth mentioning that the Angels had to give up a second round draft pick to sign him which is valued at around $1.5 million.
The Angels set the tone, now everyone is scrambling
The Angels set the bar high, especially for someone who had only pitched 2 inning in the previous 2 seasons. The Astros have solidified the market value by signing Justin Verlander at $25 million at one-year, plus a player-option that he is likely to extend worth another $25 million.
Justin Verlander has pitched one game in almost 2 years. The one thing that Justin Verlander does guarantee is a Hall of Fame pedigree. Signing Verlander isn’t as big of a risk as Syndergaard but the Astros did pay a heavier price tag.
Verlander is less of a risk but the Astros had to pay for it
The annual value of $25 million isn’t that much more than what the Angels paid but the Astros basically signed a soon-to-be 39 year old to a two-year deal worth $50 million. That kind of deal structure would have been better for the Angels since Syndergaard is only 29 years old.
What this does to the market is inflate it even more than it already was. Kershaw is looking more and more likely to get a deal close to the $20 million a year range. Especially with the deep pockets of the Rangers who can afford a bit more risk.
This basically guarantees record-breaking money for Scherzer
Scherzer was already likely to sign for big money but this guarantees it. He is looking at a $35 million a year payday. It might even be slightly higher if he looks at a two-year range. The Dodgers need to sign some of these pitchers soon before the teams with deep pockets start inflating to the point that they will be forced to trade for pitching.
