Verlander (elbow) agreed to a one-year, $25 million contract with the Astros on Wednesday, which includes a player option for 2023, Mark Berman of KRIV 26 News reports.
Verlander officially passed on the $18.4 million qualifying offer extended by Houston prior to Wednesday's deadline, and it didn't take long for him to reach a more lucrative deal. The 38-year-old missed the entirety of 2021 while recovering from Tommy John surgery, and he was still as effective as ever during his last full season with a 2.58 ERA, 0.80 WHIP and 300:42 K:BB over 223 innings during 2019. The right-hander recently impressed at a showcase workout and is expected to enter spring training with minimal restrictions.