The MLB trade deadline was active on Tuesday. The Houston Astros were one of the biggest teams interested in a major splash, and they landed Justin Verlander in a huge trade with the New York Mets. However, the Los Angeles Dodgers were also in on Verlander, although there seem to be a few reasons why they failed to make a move, per Jorge Castillo of The Los Angeles Times.
‘The #Dodgers had interest in Justin Verlander, but the combination of his age, contract length, and money owed made a deal with the Mets difficult. He’s going to the Astros, per source, as others have reported. Eduardo Rodriguez remains an option for the Dodgers.'
Verlander turned 40 in February and is still owed $43.3 million next year as well as a $35 million vesting option in 2025, so that's a hefty price for the Dodgers to pay.
As Castillo mentions, the Dodgers remain interested in Detroit Tigers pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez.
The Mets downfall has begun after a massive spending spree in the offseason, including inking Verlander to a huge two-year contract. The Mets also traded away Max Scherzer to the Texas Rangers, so the rebuild is underway.
The Dodgers are in first place in the National League West and have a 2.5-game lead over the San Francisco Giants, so they didn't necessarily need to overpay to land Justin Verlander at the deadline.
What comes next for the Dodgers remains to be seen, but you can't fault them for passing on a 40-year-old pitcher owed more than $40 million in 2024.
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