Houston Astros Rumors: DET could pay part of Verlander’s salary in trade

The Houston Astros could be awarded some salary relief if a potential swap is made for the Detroit Tigers Justin Verlander.

This is certainly interesting news for the Houston Astros as things aren’t looking to good in the team being able to deal for Justin Verlander.  The franchise still remains steadfast in being unwilling to deal top prospects for help on the pitching front, hampering them from making trades from some the league’s top arms at the deadline.

Verlander remains the most likely candidate the team could trade for before the waiver trade deadline of Aug. 31.  As it has become widely known, it has been said that he cleared revocable waivers about a week ago.  But the most important stickler in the Verlander trade is his astronomical salary.

He’s due to make $28 million per season through 2019 and this is certainly a number the Houston Astros are unwilling to take on in their payroll.  But according to MLB Insider Jon Morosi, there’s a possibility that the Tigers would be willing to cover part of Verlander’s salary if a trigger is pulled on a deal.

Morosi mentions that the Tigers would be willing to pay up to $10 million per season for the remaining two years of his contract to offer a potential suitor — more than likely the Houston Astros — to offer some sort of financial security.  It’s also unclear in Morosi’s piece if the $10 million is the actual number or if he’s using this figure as an example.  Regardless, he states that the Tigers could be willing to offer some type of salary relief.  Verlander also has a no-trade clause attached to his contract but would be likely to waive it if he were going to a budding team like the Astros.  He also has an opt-out clause built into this contract as well.

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So, in other words, the Astros would essentially be renting him for the remainder of this season and if he doesn’t like it here, he can opt-out of his contract and go elsewhere.  I’d consider that unlikely because why would a guy who has $56 million guaranteed over the next two years be willing to take a significant pay cut to go to a team of his choice?  His value is a bit lower than what it was when he signed his five-year extension that could be worth up to $202 million back in 2013.

Morosi also mentioned that the $10 million per season the Tigers could be willing to pay has stipulations, indicating that they’d only pay if Verlander decides not to opt-out throughout any course of his contract.  This is understandable as the team needs to have some sort of protection so the $20 million they’re willing to fork away doesn’t go for naught.

Fellow MLB insiders Bob Nightengale and Jon Heyman feel that this deal is a long shot from happening but I still have hope that the Astros may go on and pull the trigger on this.  I have my odds of this happening right at about 25 percent because Astros reluctance to not have the farm taken from under them for just a temporary band-aid to their pitching woes.

Bar none — if Dallas Keuchel and Lance McCullers Jr. aren’t back at full strength, a Verlander deal wouldn’t matter as these two guys are the most important pitchers to our rotation.  They’re something not quite right about them now but we’re hopeful they can work it before the stretch run and the eventual playoffs as well.  We’ll have to see about that.

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Verlander, 34, has pitched well as of late.  He has posted a 2.01 ERA, tossed 44 strikeouts off 12 walks through 40.3 innings.  His batters that have faced him have a combined slash line of .177/.244/.310.  Wow!

Go Astros.