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Justin Verlander is back to the Houston Astros less than a year after leaving the team for the New York Mets. Sure enough, Alex Bregman couldn't be more hyped about it.
When asked Tuesday about his thoughts on the Astros' reunion with Verlander, Bregman didn't hide his excitement to play with the right-handed pitcher once again, via Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. The 29-year-old shortstop shared that he is “fired up” for Verlander's return, and that the rest of the team feels the same way.
Verlander played for Houston from 2017 to 2022, winning two World Series titles and two AL Cy Young awards during that span.
“Fired up. Super excited. Obviously I got to play with him for a long time. He's just a great leader, great teammate, competitor. Super fired up. I think all the guys in here are very, very excited,” Bregman said as he was all smiles while talking to reporters.
Astros third baseman Alex Bregman is thrilled that Verlander is coming back. He said he texted him and said “Let’s go!” pic.twitter.com/kxEALq9wWy
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) August 1, 2023
The Mets lured Justin Verlander away from the Astros last offseason and signed him on a two-year, $86.7 million deal. However, with New York failing to meet expectations in 2023 despite spending big, they opted to become sellers heading to the MLB trade deadline. After trading Max Scherzer earlier, everyone knew Verlander was next on the chopping block.
Astros pulled the trigger on the Verlander trade amid strong competition from the Los Angeles Dodgers, sending outfielders Drew Gilbert and Ryan Clifford in exchange. The Mets are also reportedly in the hook for $54 million in the trade “if Verlander's $35 million option in 2025 becomes vested,” Bob Nightengale of USA Today explained.
Regardless on what the Astros and Mets agreed upon to pull off the deal, the important thing for Houston is they got Verlander back. Now, they are more than ready to compete for a postseason spot in the AL West.
