The New York Mets first signed Verlander to a two-year, $86.6 million contract with a $35 million vesting option in the 2023 offseason. He only stayed with the Mets for half a year since things did not go as planned, and the Mets eventually sent him back to his previous team, the Astros, at the trade deadline.

Mets owner Steve Cohen maximized the team’s return by taking on $52.2 million of Verlander’s deal and would additionally pay $17.5 million if the three-time Cy Young Award winner pitches 140 innings this season. This implies that if Verlander is unable to meet his quota, the Mets will keep the $17.5 million and save it for later.

While this conclusion would be great for the team, Verlander had similar challenges last season, and despite missing the opening month of play, he still managed to log 162.1 innings. That included 94.1 innings with the Mets and 68 innings with the Astros.

So, it’s safe to say that the Astros aren’t concerned about Verlander starting the season on the IL, and they fully anticipate him to resume his usual workload whenever he’s cleared to play.

The Astros want Verlander in the long haul, and they want him to remain healthy because there is a lot more baseball to play. Espada made this apparent, saying, “We need him for the long term. It’s a long season, and we’ll need a healthy JV throughout.

Verlander will continue his preparation for game action and aims to throw a live bullpen on Friday. He will ultimately get the opportunity to face batters and may be slated to pitch a couple rehab outings before a return is confirmed. Again, this might benefit the Mets, but if Verlander sees it as a “hiccup,” there’s no need to panic.

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