Justin Verlander returns to Detroit Tigers on one-year deal for 2026 MLB season

Justin Verlander is heading back to where his major league career started, agreeing to a one-year contract with the Detroit Tigers that sets up a late-career homecoming and adds another marquee arm to an already crowded rotation. The deal brings one of the era’s most accomplished pitchers back to Detroit for the 2026 MLB season, nearly a decade after the Tigers traded him away.

Verlander’s return also puts a familiar face in a clubhouse built to win now, with Detroit stacking starters around see-it-to-believe-it expectations after a busy offseason.

The deal and what it means for Detroit

Verlander agreed to a one-year, $13 million contract for 2026, with $11 million deferred and scheduled to be paid beginning in 2030. Detroit gets a veteran starter without a long-term commitment, while Verlander gets a chance to finish a Hall of Fame résumé in the city where he became a star.

The Tigers’ bigger story is depth. Detroit can now run out a rotation featuring Tarik Skubal, newly added Framber Valdez, and multiple established big-league starters around them, with Verlander joining as both an innings option and a stabilizing presence for a staff that expects to pitch deep into October.

Why this reunion is happening now

Verlander’s free-agency market has shifted as he’s moved into his 40s, even while he has remained capable of taking the ball regularly. The Tigers, meanwhile, are operating like a contender that wants as many credible starters as possible to survive a 162-game season and still have options for a postseason series.

There’s also the human element: Verlander spent the first 13 seasons of his career in Detroit, where he won his first Cy Young Award and an MVP, threw no-hitters, and became the face of the franchise during its strongest run of the 2010s. For the Tigers, it’s a baseball move and a marketing moment at the same time.

Where Verlander stands entering 2026

Verlander turns 43 on February 20, 2026. He’s still chasing milestones that matter to pitchers of his generation, especially 300 wins—an increasingly rare total in modern baseball.

He enters 2026 with 266 career wins and 3,553 strikeouts, placing him among the all-time leaders in punchouts. Even if the radar-gun readings aren’t what they were in his peak, he has repeatedly shown he can adapt through pitch mix, location, and sequencing.

In 2025, Verlander pitched for San Francisco and made 29 starts, going 4–11 with a 3.85 ERA. The win-loss line reflects a mix of context and timing as much as performance, but the workload is the key detail: he took regular turns, which is exactly what Detroit is buying.

How he fits with the Tigers’ rotation

Detroit doesn’t need Verlander to be “prime Verlander” to justify the signing. The Tigers need him to be a competent starter who can cover innings, keep games close, and raise the floor of the staff when injuries or performance dips hit—because they always do.

If the Tigers have five or six starters they trust, it can change how they manage the bullpen, how they deploy off-days, and how aggressively they handle younger arms. It also gives Detroit more ways to match up in a postseason series, where a single hot month can swing a title.

Quick snapshot (approx.)

What to watch next in spring and beyond

The early checkpoints will be practical: health, velocity trends, and how Verlander’s stuff plays against lineups that now see him with a decade-plus of scouting history. Detroit will also be balancing roles—figuring out who gets the ball every fifth day, who shifts to depth, and how to keep everyone fresh.

For Verlander, the forward look is straightforward and measurable. If he stays healthy and the Tigers give him regular starts, he has a realistic path to climb further up the all-time lists—and to help a club that appears to be building for a deep 2026 run.

Sources consulted: Associated Press; ESPN; FOX Sports; MLB.com