If the Yankees were able to sign Justin Verlander in the off-season, consider the possibility of sliding doors. That probably means that Nester Cortez had to start the season with a bullpen.
And the Yankeestried to sign the veteran star, which was an almost quiet period for them before the lockout imposed by MLB. Hal Steinbrenner made a one-time start between 2020 and 21 and approved an important one-year bid for Verlander, who had Tommy John's surgery.
"Is there a possibility, yes," Verlander said Thursday. "But close? No. They engaged towards the end. We weren't really involved [with the Yankees] early on, and we don't know what changed their minds. But they started working for the last few days, but they weren't actually in the stadium contractually with some other teams, so they really don't know about the Yankees, so it's possible. The Yankees can bring in undeniable offers, so when they got engaged, it was "OK, this might be possible." But for other reasons, it was never nearby after all.
Verlander feels he has to do Decide on an offer that said he wasn't even there. Instead, he decided to return to the Astrosin a year, signed a $ 25 million deal, and earned another $ 25 million in vesting options in 2023. He starts on Friday night with a healthy, Verlander-inspired 2.30ERA. But it will be a start at Yankee Stadium.
Verlander was part of the 2017 Astros, who defeated the Yankees in the ALCS and won the World Series. In the aftermath, it was discovered that the Astros used an illegal sign-stealing scam during the season when they were punished by MLB. The Astros haven't played in Bronx in 2020 since the operation was announced, and after playing in May last year, COVID restrictions have returned a full crowd.
Therefore, Verlander and his teammates will play in front of a packed crowd in New York for the first time since the illegal activity was revealed. Verlander said this weekend he wouldn't be ignored by Yankees fans. He said, "I think fans won't forget you. Hopefully we'll let our game talk about itself. We continue to be a great organization."
