The New York Mets and free-agent pitcher Justin Verlander have agreed to a two-year, $86 million contract. The deal includes a third-year option worth $35 million.
Verlander — a three-time Cy Young Award winner, nine-time All-Star and 2011 American League MVP — joined the Houston Astros in a 2017 trade from the Detroit Tigers, where he began his MLB career in 2005. The veteran right-handed pitcher holds a career 3.24 ERA and 244-133 record in 17 seasons. His 244 wins are the most among active pitchers and rank 56th in MLB history, and his 3,198 career strikeouts also rank best among active players and 12th in MLB history.
The 39-year-old Verlander went 18-4 with a league-low 1.75 ERA in 28 starts last season for the World Series champion Houston Astros. He went 2-0 with a 5.85 ERA in the postseason, and allowed just four hits and one run in five innings to help the Astros win Game 5 of the World Series.
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