Justin Verlander has made it clear that he wants to pitch until he is 45 (or longer), which would be one year younger than his idol, Nolan Ryan. If and when that time comes, it would only be fitting for him to be wearing a Detroit Tigers jersey and I believe that is exactly how things will play out.
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Currently, Verlander is 38 and he is under contract with the Houston Astros through the 2021 season, which would make him 39 when he is eligible to hit free agency once again.
At that time, I believe JV and the Detroit Tigers will work out a deal that will give him the opportunity to close out his career wearing the Old English ‘D’ in a place he called home for 13 seasons.
If Verlander can recover nicely from Tommy John surgery (he says it is going well), you can bet the Tigers will consider trying to sign their former ace.
Verlander still loves the city of Detroit and Detroit still loves him, which is why he should (and will) finish out his career in the Motor City.
Who knows, maybe JV can end up leading the Tigers to a World Series title after all.
Always a Tiger!