Scarcely a week ago, Astros general manager James Click suggested that the team had little interest in re-signing erstwhile ace Justin Verlander. The rotation was in “a pretty good spot,” he said at the GM meetings in Carlsbad, Calif.—all but explicitly confirming that Houston did not plan to go after premium starters like Verlander.
But the starting pitching market began moving just a few days later. Houston jumped right in: News broke on Wednesday that Verlander would be back with the Astros on a two-year, $50-million contract that includes a player opt-out after the first season.