Report: Tigers-Astros Had Verlander Deal In Place But It Fell Apart Last Minute
DETROIT -- The Tigers and Astros reportedly had a deal in place to send star pitcher Justin Verlander to Houston, but Verlander either didn't waive his no trade clause or the Astros pulled back their offer.
Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reported the Verlander trade news roughly 30 minutes before the waiver trade deadline. The deal was reportedly in place but either Verlander wouldn't waive his no trade clause or if the Astros got "cold feet" and "pulled back their offer."
McCosky later followed up his initial tweet saying he was unsure if Verlander vetoed the trade or if the Astros made a last minute change that resulted in the trade falling apart.
Prior to that, McCosky named who the Tigers were expected to receive in return for Verlander, and it was a solid haul.
According to McCosky, the Tigers would have received three prospects -- all ranked in the top 11 of the Astros' farm system -- if the deal was complete. That included No. 3 prospect right handed pitcher Franklin Perez, No. 9 prospect outfielder Daz Cameron and No. 11 prospect catcher Jake Rogers.
The Astros and Tigers had believed to be in talks for Verlander for the past month, and possibly even longer. Following the news Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports said Verlander had given the okay on a trade to the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers, but was "iffy" on Astros.
had heard verlander would ok cubs, dodgers, with astros iffy, as reported earlier. JV had full no-trade power. completely his call, by rules
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) September 1, 2017
verlander knows cubs and dodgers have shown interest in him. cant be a shock if he waits for a deal to 1 of those teams. he would approve.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) September 1, 2017
The waiver trade deadline was midnight, effectively meaning Verlander will remain with the Tigers for the rest of the season.