Verlander reunites with Astros as if he never left

NEW YORK -- Wearing a different shade of blue and orange, Justin Verlander sat on a couch with his legs crossed in the visiting clubhouse at Yankee Stadium on Thursday afternoon and tried to finish a crossword puzzle. He soon began collaborating with Astros teammate Alex Bregman, who was working on the same puzzle a few feet away.

For a player who had just been traded a few days earlier, Verlander’s transition to the Astros felt as comfortable as it could. And in some ways, it was like he never left.

Verlander’s return to the Astros -- eight months after he left Houston and signed a two-year deal with the Mets -- reunites him with the franchise he helped win two World Series titles in 2017 and ‘22. And his presence on the field and in the clubhouse bolsters Houston’s chances to win another championship this fall.

“Entertaining the idea of a trade and waiving my no-trade clause, I think Houston was the No. 1 choice for me, just knowing these guys so well and having a chance to win and familiarity,” Verlander said. “I had such a great time here.”

Verlander, 40, will make his first start in 2023 for the Astros on Saturday at Yankee Stadium -- his first start in a Houston uniform since Game 5 of last year’s World Series.

“I never got a player back this soon,” manager Dusty Baker said. “I was glad to see him. He looked real strong and in good shape. He was a good friend of mine.”

Verlander last pitched in New York for the Mets on Sunday and beat the Yankees at Yankee Stadium in his previous start five days earlier. He still has an apartment in New York, but he no longer has his place in Houston. As relaxed as the trade to the Astros was, changing teams presents challenges.

“I feel like I was just really starting to get settled in the city and my apartment, and my family was really getting used to things here,” he said. “You start building a life off the field. You try to build a life in the city that you're in and you start getting comfortable and you make friends, and so that part is really difficult. It's a lot on the family.”

Acquired moments before the now-defunct Aug. 31 waiver Trade Deadline in 2017 after 12 seasons in Detroit, Verlander had four-plus memorable seasons in Houston, including the first two World Series rings of his career. He was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2017 ALCS and won Cy Young Awards in 2019 and ‘22

Coming off Tommy John surgery, Verlander had one of the best seasons of his career last year. He was the unanimous winner of his third AL Cy Young by going 18-4 with a 1.75 ERA in 28 starts, and then helped the Astros win their second World Series title in six seasons.

“I mean, it's exciting seeing all the guys again, and obviously, once the trade went through, I talked to a bunch of the guys on the phone and we text messaged,” he said. “It feels a little weird because it hasn't been that long, so it feels like you don't miss a beat and you're right back in the locker room. But on the other hand, there's this whole segment that happened. So here I am still staying in my apartment in New York. It’s a really odd feeling. Hard to explain.”

Once the fading Mets traded Max Scherzer to the Rangers, Verlander spoke with Mets owner Steve Cohen and general manager Billy Eppler about the future of the franchise. It was clear the Mets weren’t going to contend for the championship Verlander signed with them to chase. A return to Houston made a lot of sense, but it took a challenging negotiation to get it done, with about $53 million in salary going to the Astros and two top prospects going to New York.

“I tried to gather as much information as possible and then make an educated decision,” Verlander said. “Everything goes into that bucket when you're gathering information -- my relationship with [owner] Jim [Crane], my relationship with my teammates, the coaching staff, familiarity with Houston, the fan base and Spring Training location. All of it is what really went into my thought process leading up to this.”

Verlander kept up with the Astros this year from afar, checking box scores to see how his friends were doing. He never could have imagined he’d be sharing the same clubhouse with them once again and even joining forces to solve a crossword puzzle. Verlander learned life comes at you fast.

“It's super exciting to join my friends again and a team that's fighting for a championship and in a really intense run coming down the stretch,” he said.