Justin Verlander Next Team Odds: Where Could the Future Hall of Famer Land? 

By Christopher Boan

Jan 28th, 2026 9:44 AM EST

(USATODAY)

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After going 4-11 with the San Francisco, the jury’s still out on whether future Hall of Fame pitcher Justin Verlander will come back in 2026. Given that the 42-year-old remains unsigned with Spring Training approaching, the team at Bookies.com came up with some hypothetical MLB odds on Verlander’s next team. 

Justin Verlander Next Team Odds

Odds are projected and do not reflect any odds that may be available at legal betting sites or betting apps.

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Justin Verlander's Future Up in the Air

As one of the game’s most decorated starters, Verlander has definitely earned the right to call his shots on the mound, sitting 34 victories shy of 300 for his career and sitting 447 strikeouts short of the acclaimed 4,000 strikeout club.  

While his 2025 season was one to forget, Verlander did register 137 strikeouts while amassing a 1.3 WAR (per Baseball-Reference.com), which could inspire some suitors as the offseason speeds towards its end stage.  

That kind of production should inspire pitching-needy MLB teams like the Giants (+250), Houston Astros (+300), Baltimore Orioles (+500) and Detroit Tigers (+600) to take a swing at landing Verlander, with veteran depth being a sorely needed aspect for any baseball club in today’s MLB worldview.  

A return to either Houston or Detroit would be a nostalgic turn of the dial for Verlander, as the veteran of 20 MLB campaigns went 183-114 over 13 seasons with Detroit (with a 56.6 WAR to boot), before going 73-28 with the Astros across seven seasons in the Space City.  

In total, Verlander racked up 22.3 WAR with the Astros from 2017 to 2023 (per Baseball-Reference.com), while the future Hall of Famer has never pitched for Baltimore, though the AL East stalwarts are the closest pro team to his hometown of Richmond, Virginia.  

Any way that you slice it, there’s sure to be a buyer’s market for Verlander’s services as we wind towards pitchers and catchers reporting for duty, as the star pitcher’s currently the active leader in terms of innings pitched (3,567.2) and JAWS (81.7), which speaks to his surefire Cooperstown credentials entering the 2026 league year.  

That new league year could feature a turn-back-the-clock bit of baseball lore that brings the wily veteran back to one of his old stomping grounds, giving fans a chance to root for the former Tigers and Astros ace one final time before he calls it a day on his playing career.  

RELATED: Zac Gallen Next Team Odds:

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About the Author

Christopher Boan

More About Christopher

Christopher Boan has covered sports and sports betting in Arizona for more than seven years, with stops at ArizonaSports.com, Tucson Weekly and Green Valley News.

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