Verlander and the Astros agreed to terms Saturday on a two-year, $66 million contract extension, Mark Berman of Fox 26 News Houston reports.
Reports surfaced within the past few days that both player and team were eager to work out an extension prior to the season, and it didn't take long for a new deal to materialize. The extension now keeps Verlander in the fold through 2021, his age-38 season. After his career had been trending downward during his final years in Detroit, Verlander has re-emerged as a top-flight ace since joining Houston in August 2017. Verlander was instrumental in the Astros' run to their first World Series title that year and enjoyed arguably the best season of his career in 2018, churning out a 2.52 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 290:37 K:BB in 214 innings. His advanced age aside, Verlander's underlying metrics suggest no major decline should be in the forecast for 2019.