Earlier today, Boston Red Sox ace Chris Sale reportedly agreed to a new contract that will remove him from next winter's free-agent pool -- this coming on the heels of both Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt also taking themselves out of the upcoming free agent pool.
Now, it appears you can add Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander's name to the pile. Per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, Verlander is nearing an agreement to stay in Houston on a two-year deal worth around $66 million:
According to sources, Justin Verlander and the Astros are moving toward a deal on an extension. It’s believed to be a two-year deal in the $66M range.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) March 23, 2019
Presuming Feinsand's report is correct and Verlander does land around $66 million for two years, then this will represent one of the highest annual average values for a pitcher in the sport's history. Per Cot's Contracts, only Zack Greinke (at $34 million) would be higher.
There's a compelling case to be made that Verlander merits the AAV record. He has reinvented himself in recent years, and has been one of baseball's best pitchers since joining the Astros in 2017. Verlander has posted a 173 ERA+ and has struck out nearly eight batters for every walk issued in his 248 innings in Houston. Add in some high-quality postseason work, and it's no wonder why the Astros desired to keep Verlander in town.
Of course, the bigger story here is that yet another star player has re-upped with their current team rather than testing the open waters. Players, it seems, are afraid of being frozen out the way their peers have the past two winters. Consider that a negative indicator for the health of the game and a positive indicator that a work stoppage is likely forthcoming.
