Dodgers Rumors: Free Agent Justin Verlander Set to Meet with LA

It’s pretty well-known that the Dodgers are in the market for a starting pitcher or two. Reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander makes sense in a lot of ways, most notably that he wouldn’t require an extremely long deal due to his age and that he doesn’t have a qualifying offer attached to him so there wouldn’t be penalties for signing him.

Of course, there are some issues that make it less than perfect. Verlander will turn 40 around the start of spring training, and he missed two full seasons in 2020 and 2021 due to Tommy John surgery. He was also a part of the 2017 Astros team that cheated to win the World Series, so some fans will have a hard time accepting him even though it was the hitters who cheated, not the pitchers, and the cheating scheme was already in place long before Houston acquired him in August of that year.

But the Dodgers are interested, and Jon Heyman reports the two sides are meeting today.

Word is Dodgers are meeting with Justin Verlander today. Would fit their preference for big talents on short-term deals (with of course very high AAV). Both NY teams interested and of course incumbent Astros.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 28, 2022

With the Mets, Yankees, and Astros interested, Los Angeles will have to decide how badly they want the right-handed three-time Cy Young winner, because he will almost certainly follow the money. If they want Verlander, they’ll have to outbid the others.

Still, Verlander has some appeal because he will only cost money. Jacob deGrom or Carlos Rodon would cost L.A. their second and fifth draft picks and $1 million in international signing bonus allowance because they’ve both received and rejected qualifying offers from their previous teams.

Let’s get this hot stove cooking.

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