The Houston Astros are reportedly trading for starting pitcher Justin Verlander of the New York Mets, per Jeff Passan. Verlander is set for a reunion with Houston after leading the Astros to a 2022 World Series victory. Houston is reportedly sending OF Drew Gilbert and OF Ryan Clifford to the Mets as part of the deal.

Justin Verlander's tenure with the Mets comes to an end

Verlander joined the Mets with aspirations of helping them win a World Series of their own. New York entered the 2023 campaign with lofty aspirations after what seemed like a tremendous offseason. There were questions about how Verlander and Max Scherzer would pitch alongside one another, but the majority of fans believed in the team.

New York ended up stumbling throughout the first part of the '23 season, though. Verlander dealt with an injury but pitched well for the most part when on the mound. In the end, the Mets looked at their standings placement (fourth place in AL East) and decided to tear it down. The Mets recently traded Max Scherzer to the Texas Rangers, and now Verlander is headed to Houston.

Verlander returns to the Astros

Justin Verlander was traded from the Detroit Tigers to the Houston Astros in 2017, a time when it seemed like Verlander's career was on a steady decline. He bounced back in Houston though and pitched like a superstar. He helped the Astros win two World Series, and he earned two AL Cy Young awards during his initial tenure in Houston as well.

Following a Cy Young and World Series win in 2022, Verlander joined the Mets. However, as mentioned earlier, things didn't go according to plan. He's now ready to help lead an Astros pitching staff that's been hit hard by the injury bug. This trade has the potential to lend the Astros a major advantage in the competitive American League.

Houston is currently battling with Texas for the first spot in the AL West. Both teams have been active ahead of the MLB trade deadline, and now both Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander will be competing against one another for a division title after spending the first half of the year in the same rotation.