Teams such as the Los Angeles Dodgers and Baltimore Orioles were in the sweepstakes for Justin Verlander before he was traded to the Houston Astros. The trade to Houston wasn't surprising, as Verlander had previously pitched for the Astros. He won multiple Cy Young awards and World Series wins with the team. Nevertheless, his Astros admission will catch the attention of Dodgers and Orioles fans.

“Houston was the No. 1 choice for me,” Verlander said, per Astros beat writer Chandler Rome of The Athletic.

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Verlander's admission isn't surprising given his prior experience in Houston. He was traded to the Astros during the 2017 season and helped lead the ball club to their World Series victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

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In 2019, Verlander took home AL Cy Young honors and did so once again during the 2022 campaign despite having undergone Tommy John surgery just two years prior. In 2022, Verlander also played a pivotal role in Houston's World Series win over the Philadelphia Phillies.

Nevertheless, his statement will catch the attention of Dodgers and Orioles fans. Los Angeles seemed to have a strong chance of landing the right-hander given the team's elite prospect capital. The same can be said for Baltimore. In the end, though, Justin Verlander's full no-trade clause gave him a lot of control. Since he wanted to go to Houston if a trade was going to happen, the Astros emerged as the perfect landing destination.

Houston will try to repeat as champions with Justin Verlander leading the rotation. It wouldn't be surprising if Houston had to battle the Orioles in the playoffs and possibly even the Dodgers in a potential World Series rematch.