Verlander’s deal is structured to limit short‑term payroll impact: a $2 million base salary for 2026 and $11 million deferred starting in 2030. The 43‑year‑old, who last pitched for Detroit from 2005‑2017, posted a 3.85 ERA with 137 strikeouts in 29 starts last season.
Manager A.J. Hinch said the move is about winning, not nostalgia. “He can help us win on the mound,” Hinch told the Detroit Free Press, adding that Verlander’s experience and clubhouse presence will elevate the Tigers’ pitching staff.