MLB Trade Rumors: 5 Potential Landing Spots for 3X Cy Young Winner Justin Verlander

He's a three-time Cy Young winner and a two-time World Series champion. Granted, going into his age-43 season, Justin Verlander isn't the pitcher he was in his prime, but he proved in stretches with the San Francisco Giants last season that he can still be a solid contributor to a starting rotation.

Verlander stayed pretty healthy throughout 2025, making 29 starts and tossing 152 innings. He posted a 3.85 ERA with a 1.36 WHIP. But miraculously, for the aging pitcher, he got stronger as the season progressed. He allowed just two runs or fewer in 13 of his last 15 starts while posting a 1.78 ERA over his last six starts. As well, he can obviously be a great mentor for young pitchers.

What are the five best landing spots for Verlander? Insider Jim Bowden suggests the following:

San Francisco Giants
Atlanta Braves
San Diego Padres
Baltimore Orioles
Detroit Tigers

Again, the Giants' pitcher-friendly ballpark seemed like a nice fit for him last year. The Braves hope to be a serious contender this season, and they do have a couple of very impressive young arms in Spencer Strider and Spencer Schwellenbach that Verlander could be a great influence on.

The Padres and Orioles are looking for another starter, and as Bowden writes, "The storybook ending would be for him to finish his career in Detroit."

The Motor City is where Verlander spent the first 13 years of his career, winning Rookie of the Year, his first Cy Young, an ERA title and four times leading the league in strikeouts.