Opening Day 2019 is three weeks and one day away. There's a lot of spring training baseball that has to be played between now and then, and also a lot of free agents who have to sign. Five of our top 50 free agents remain unsigned, including two of the top 12. Here are the latest hot stove rumblings. Make sure you check back throughout the day for updates.
Verlander plans to pitch into his 40s
According to MLB Network's Jon Heyman, Astros ace and impending free agent Justin Verlander is nowhere close to thinking about retirement. "I plan to pitch into my mid-40s ... I don't need to sign a 5-year deal," Verlander said, adding he is open to staying with Houston. "I haven't shut the door — good team, good guys."
Verlander turned 36 last month and he remains at the top of the game. Last season he led the American League in strikeouts (290), WHIP (0.90), and K/BB ratio (7.84) en route to finishing second in the Cy Young voting. His velocity remains as good as ever as well. With another typical Verlander season in 2019, he could be the most sought after free agent on the market next winter. The combination of excellence and a short-term contract will appeal to every contender.
Astros, Phillies in on Keuchel
The Astros and Phillies remain in touch with free agent left-hander Dallas Keuchel, reports MLB Network's Jon Heyman. The Phillies are looking for a short-term deal. Keuchel is, far and away, the top free agent starter on the market. Opening Day is roughly three weeks away now and it's unclear whether Keuchel would be ready for the start of the regular season. A mid-April return would seem to be more likely at this point.
Houston lost Charlie Morton to free agency, Lance McCullers Jr. to Tommy John surgery, and fifth starter candidate Josh James to a quad injury. Keuchel would give the 'Stros a familiar workhorse to strengthen the starting staff. The Phillies, meanwhile, currently have Zach Eflin penciled in as their fifth starter. Most teams would be thrilled with a young guy like that rounding out the starting five. The Phillies are in it to win it though, and there's never such a thing as too much rotation depth.
Yankee will stay in-house to replace Severino
GM Brian Cashman said the Yankees are planning to stay in-house to replace staff ace Luis Severino, according to ESPN's Coley Harvey. Severino was shut down Tuesday with shoulder inflammation. "What I've got is what I've got and we're comfortable with that. Can't rule anything out, but I'd say the main focus is what we have," Cashman said. Realistically, there are five paths the Yankees could take to address their rotation.
New York's in-house rotation candidates include Luis Cessa, Domingo German, and Jonathan Loaisiga. The Yankees will also be without fifth starter CC Sabathia, who is working his way back from offseason knee and heart surgery, so they have two open rotation spots at the moment. James Paxton, Masahiro Tanaka,and J.A. Happ are the three veteran starters with two TBD spots.
