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The Houston Astros are bringing a familiar face back to the team to make a playoff push in the 2023 season.
Houston reportedly agreed to a deal with the New York Mets for veteran starting pitcher Justin Verlander on Tuesday. Verlander signed with the Mets this past offseason, leaving Houston after he helped the franchise win the World Series in the 2022 season.
The Houston Astros have a deal in place to acquire ace Justin Verlander from the New York Mets, sources familiar with the agreement tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 1, 2023
The Mets will receive OF Drew Gilbert from the Astros in the deal for Verlander, per source, plus at least one other propsect. It's not known how much money the Mets will send to Houston.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) August 1, 2023
The Astros currently hold the No. 2 wild card in the American League, but they are also just half a game behind the Texas Rangers for the top spot in the American League West division.
Houston is fourth in the odds to win the World Series, but does adding Verlander make the team a value bet?
Houston Astros’ odds to win the World Series
The Astros quickly moved from +850 to +700 to win the World Series, and they should be even better positioned now that Verlander is in the fold.
Houston’s rotation has been struck by injuries this season, as Lance McCullers, Luis Garcia and Jose Urquidy are all on the 60-day injured list at the moment. That’s forced the team to rely on a bunch of young arms behind ace Framber Valdez.
Verlander was obviously a huge reason why Houston won the World Series last season, and the team could be getting him while he’s starting to find his form in 2023.
The three-time Cy Young award winner missed the start of the season with New York, but he’s come on as of late.
In the month of July, Verlander made six starts and posted a 1.69 ERA across 37.1 innings of work. That lowered his season ERA to 3.15.
While he may not be a Cy Young candidate this season, the Astros know as well as anyone how important Verlander can be to a rotation.
Now, the team will have him for multiple seasons (he signed a two-year deal with the Mets this past offseason) as he reaches the end of his career. If Verlander continues to pitch as well as he did in July, the Astros have two aces in him and Valdez to help them make a real run at back-to-back titles.
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.