Justin Verlander on his time at Houston: "Really and truly, it's been a hell of a ride"

Justin Verlander, Houston Astros' ace pitcher, decided to hit the open market before the 2023 season. The 39-year-old had a chance to activate his player option worth $25 million at the end of the season but instead chose to go into free agency. The option was activated after he threw over 130 innings for the Astros this season, including the playoffs.

The Chronicle recently reported that Justin Verlander had question marks on his future since the World Series itself. But regardless of what ensued, he was happy with his time in Houston, having won two World Series titles.

"Really and truly, it's been a hell of a ride no matter what happens," Verlander said. "Whether I stay or don't, I've really enjoyed my time with this group of guys and the city and getting to know the city. And it’s really been a blessing and a wonderful time in my career." - Justin Verlander

What next for Justin Verlander?

As Justin Verlander heads into free agency, the question remains is there enough on his resume to attract the big teams. His decision to leave the Astros was financially a viable one for him. After leading the MLB with a 1.75 ERA and a 0.829 WHIP and also receiving the NL's Cy Young Award, his market was estimate at more than $41 million.

This will be his second offseason in the free agency. Last year, the Astros got him back in their system for a one-year deal after he missed the entirety of the 2021 season. Verlander is clearly in the last phase of his MLB career as a pitcher and as a 40-year-old in 2023 there might be teams that are willing to dish out a contract, but it remains to be seen how many years.

Astros owner Jim Crane is really eager to keep the future Hall of Famer, but surely the figure isn't enough for Verlander.

“Justin really had a great year,” Crane said. “We have a good relationship with him, [manager] Dusty [Baker] and I and [general manager] James [Click]. I think we have [until] about four o'clock [Thursday] to talk to him. We've been talking to him and we're working on it. We're gonna do our best to try to keep him.” -via mlb.com

Even a World champion team like the Houston Astros have administrative problems to fix now, with one of their primary goals being to find an apt replacement for Justin Verlander.