Giants president keeps it real about signing 42-year-old Justin Verlander

Modified Apr 09, 2025 12:00 GMT

MLB: San Francisco Giants-Workouts - Source: Imagn

San Francisco Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey shed light on his thoughts before adding Justin Verlander to their the rotation this offseason. Posey agreed that it's a risky move to sign a 42-year-old pitcher but feels the three-time Cy Young Award winner is in great physical shape and can perform at the highest level for a few more years.

Justin Verlander made his debut with the Detroit Tigers in 2006 and was named the American League Rookie of the Year the next year. He won a Cy Young Award before adding two more with the Houston Astros, along with two World Series. Verlander is the oldest active player in the MLB after signing a one-year, 15 million deal with the Giants.

On Tuesday, Posey, on The Show podcast hosted by MLB insiders Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman of The New York Post, discussed the offseason acquisition of Justin Verlander in free agency.

"Early on in the conversations, I was just listening to his voice. I was trying to get a feel for his tone to understand if there was truly motivation. And it was apparent early on to me that there was," Posey said. "Now you mentioned (his age) is 42. There is definitely some risk, and the toll that he has taken on his body throughout his career.

"He told me he was in a good place," Posey added. "Unsurprisingly, his work ethic is off the charts. You don't have a career like his without an outstanding work ethic. We're thrilled to have him. You talk to Justin, and I think he's going to play as long as he can, and right now there are no signs of slowing down. So, we're thrilled to have him on the staff."

Buster Posey played 12 seasons as a catcher for the Giants and won three World Series rings before retiring in 2021. At 38, he's four years younger than the veteran starting pitcher.

Rough start to Giants stint for Justin Verlander

Justin Verlander signed a one-year $15 million deal with the Giants (Image Source: IMAGN)

The San Francisco Giants have made a strong start to the 2025 campaign, going 8-3, putting them in second place in the highly competitive National League West. However, the same cannot be said of Justin Verlander, who has had a rough start to his stint with the Giants.

Verlander has made two starts on the mound but didn't last long in either. He has only racked up 7.1 innings but allowed five earned runs from 11 hits, including two home runs. He holds a 6.14 ERA, 1.909 WHIP and a .333 opponent batting average.

About the author

Paranjoy Goswami (Bobo) is a baseball reporter at Sportskeeda with over 10 years of experience writing with publications such as Eagle Bet, India Bet and Paradine.

He has provided full coverage, match previews and betting tips on major tournaments such as the FIFA World Cup, English Premier League, German Bundesliga, ICC World Cup, Indian Premier League and several others.

Bobo grew up supporting the Red Sox but has also been on the Phillies bandwagon for the past couple of years. He also roots for the St. Louis Cardinals and Seattle Mariners.

While he hasn't played much baseball, Bobo's fascination with the sport started with an 8-bit Nintendo game, where he picked up the basic rules. He started watching live MLB matches on TV about 20 years ago and his love for baseball just grew by leaps and bounds from then on.

Bobo's favorite player was probably Tim Wakefield as not only was he the best knuckleball pitcher of his time, but he was also a Red Sox legend, an outstanding team player and a great human being. Among the current generation, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Max Scherzer and Bryce Harper get the nod.

Bobo's favorite moment in baseball history was when the Red Sox beat the Yankees before breaking their World Series curse in 2004. That said, Jackie Robinson's breaking the color barrier was the most important.

Outside of baseball, Bobo's interests include literature, comics, world history, science fiction, satire, classic movies, PC games, pets, playing sports, cycling, traveling, sightseeing and quiet reflection.

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Edited by Bhargav