I'm thinking 83-88 wins

The Tigers have signed three-time American League Cy Young and nine-time All-Star RHP Justin Verlander to a one-year contract for the 2026 season.

Welcome home, JV! pic.twitter.com/R1T1378gwn

— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) February 10, 2026

Framber Valdez, A.J. Hinch and Justin Verlander together again. https://t.co/kFAQdpQCZt

— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) February 10, 2026

EastCoastAgNc said:

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The Tigers have signed three-time American League Cy Young and nine-time All-Star RHP Justin Verlander to a one-year contract for the 2026 season.

Welcome home, JV! pic.twitter.com/R1T1378gwn

— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) February 10, 2026

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JV going to the hall of fame in a tigers cap confirmed

My exact thought

EastCoastAgNc said:

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The Tigers have signed three-time American League Cy Young and nine-time All-Star RHP Justin Verlander to a one-year contract for the 2026 season.

Welcome home, JV! pic.twitter.com/R1T1378gwn

— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) February 10, 2026

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Tigers are pushing all their chips in for this year.

This whole off season has been us sitting back while every other contender makes move after move.

I do not want to make a move for the sake of making one, but it feels like we have done nothing to address any needs or holes.

The starting rotation has been addressed, but I don't recall much else being done.

Verlander receives $13M, $11M deferred, with payments starting in 2030, team announces https://t.co/MGUA1FL9eZ

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 10, 2026

EastCoastAgNc said:

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Verlander receives $13M, $11M deferred, with payments starting in 2030, team announces https://t.co/MGUA1FL9eZ

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 10, 2026

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wait.... 13 million or 24 million total

Mr.Bond said:

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EastCoastAgNc said:

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Verlander receives $13M, $11M deferred, with payments starting in 2030, team announces https://t.co/MGUA1FL9eZ

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 10, 2026

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wait.... 13 million or 24 million total

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Overall it'll be 1 year 13M, with deferrals that bring it to 24M. The CBT hit will be higher than 13M but not by much. Crane I'm assuming just wasn't willing to do a deferral on a one year deal. It's a great deal for JV.

$2M over the season, with $11M in payments starting in 2030

That's how I read it

Mathguy64 said:

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This whole off season has been us sitting back while every other contender makes move after move.

I do not want to make a move for the sake of making one, but it feels like we have done nothing to address any needs or holes.

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Looks like our move was to not make a move and hope the squad stays healthy.

About midway through last year, I lost a ton of interest in this team and the front office. Sad to hear myself say that, but we are just hanging on by a thread. If you believe you are a playoff team, make yourself a strong contender. If you don't believe you are a contender, then make the deals to ramp up the farm system.

Quote:

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If you believe you are a playoff team, make yourself a strong contender. If you don't believe you are a contender, then make the deals to ramp up the farm system.

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And if you're neither sit tight and see which side of the fence you're on come deadline time and act accordingly.

That's where this team is at right now.

But again it's not like the Astros aren't trying to get something done. We always knew this team was short on prospects to deal and getting a deal done would not be easy.

Mathguy64 said:

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This whole off season has been us sitting back while every other contender makes move after move.

I do not want to make a move for the sake of making one, but it feels like we have done nothing to address any needs or holes.

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I am not sure I agree with this. It feels like a lot of deck shuffling and retooling.

Some claim the Mets had a great offseason, but I think they added a bunch of guys just to break even.

The Yankees won 94 games and basically are running back the same team.

The Red Sox added pitching, but at best broke even on offense.

The Mariners lost Polanco & Suarez, but gained Donny.

The Phillies didn't do much; the loss of Suarez tops anything that was added.

The Cubs had some big moves with Bregman and Cabrera, but losing out on Tucker, Castro, and Rogers isn't insignificant.

The Braves gained added bullpen help with Saurez, but lost some pop with Ozuna.

The teams, IMO, that clearly got better and were already contenders are the Dodgers, Blue Jays, and Tigers (to a lesser extent).

I think the Astros fit in with the majority of the contenders where we lost (Framber), but then addressed it (Imai, Burrows) too.

Farmer1906 said:

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Mathguy64 said:

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This whole off season has been us sitting back while every other contender makes move after move.

I do not want to make a move for the sake of making one, but it feels like we have done nothing to address any needs or holes.

---

I am not sure I agree with this. It feels like a lot of deck shuffling and retooling.

Some claim the Mets had a great offseason, but I think they added a bunch of guys just to break even.

The Yankees won 94 games and basically are running back the same team.

The Red Sox added pitching, but at best broke even on offense.

The Mariners lost Polanco & Suarez, but gained Donny.

The Phillies didn't do much; the loss of Suarez tops anything that was added.

The Cubs had some big moves with Bregman and Cabrera, but losing out on Tucker, Castro, and Rogers isn't insignificant.

The Braves gained added bullpen help with Saurez, but lost some pop with Ozuna.

The teams, IMO, that clearly got better and were already contenders are the Dodgers, Blue Jays, and Tigers (to a lesser extent).

I think the Astros fit in with the majority of the contenders where we lost (Framber), but then addressed it (Imai, Burrows) too.

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I think our problem is that at least on their face, our pitching moves seem to at best have stood pat and we are hoping our rotation this year matches last year's efforts. Where we really needed the help was on offense, and we have done literally nothing to improve there and let Caratini walk without replacing him and traded Dubon for what appears to be the Temu version of him. Like him or not, Dubon's versatility was a big plus in overcoming the number of injuries and days off that guys needed last year, even if he was probably overused relative to what we would prefer. We needed solid bats and some more lefties and we added nothing. Maybe Sanchez and Cole and Smith will step up and the rest of the guys stay healthier. But to me it seems like our season strategy is hoping for the best, and hope is not generally a solid platform for improvement year over year.

Imai's Offseason Free Agents Rankings

• ESPN #5
• CBS #12
• MLB Tier 1 (11 players)
• MLB Trade Rumors #7
• Fangraphs #20

We landed a pretty damn big name.

Farmer1906 said:

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Imai's Offseason Free Agents Rankings

• ESPN #5
• CBS #12
• MLB Tier 1 (11 players)
• MLB Trade Rumors #7
• Fangraphs #20

We landed a pretty damn big name.

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I think people are sleeping on Burrows and Weiss as well

The offseason has been good imho. Not that concerned with hitting as long as health isn't a factor. But sure, would be nice to get a Brantley type without giving up Paredes but I don't think there's anything available

txags92 said:

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Farmer1906 said:

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Mathguy64 said:

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This whole off season has been us sitting back while every other contender makes move after move.

I do not want to make a move for the sake of making one, but it feels like we have done nothing to address any needs or holes.

---

I am not sure I agree with this. It feels like a lot of deck shuffling and retooling.

Some claim the Mets had a great offseason, but I think they added a bunch of guys just to break even.

The Yankees won 94 games and basically are running back the same team.

The Red Sox added pitching, but at best broke even on offense.

The Mariners lost Polanco & Suarez, but gained Donny.

The Phillies didn't do much; the loss of Suarez tops anything that was added.

The Cubs had some big moves with Bregman and Cabrera, but losing out on Tucker, Castro, and Rogers isn't insignificant.

The Braves gained added bullpen help with Saurez, but lost some pop with Ozuna.

The teams, IMO, that clearly got better and were already contenders are the Dodgers, Blue Jays, and Tigers (to a lesser extent).

I think the Astros fit in with the majority of the contenders where we lost (Framber), but then addressed it (Imai, Burrows) too.

---

I think our problem is that at least on their face, our pitching moves seem to at best have stood pat and we are hoping our rotation this year matches last year's efforts. Where we really needed the help was on offense, and we have done literally nothing to improve there and let Caratini walk without replacing him and traded Dubon for what appears to be the Temu version of him. Like him or not, Dubon's versatility was a big plus in overcoming the number of injuries and days off that guys needed last year, even if he was probably overused relative to what we would prefer. We needed solid bats and some more lefties and we added nothing. Maybe Sanchez and Cole and Smith will step up and the rest of the guys stay healthier. But to me it seems like our season strategy is hoping for the best, and hope is not generally a solid platform for improvement year over year.

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This is a fair criticism. I think it's ridiculous we haven't been able to address it with another bat. Our offense vs RHP was pitiful. I'd like to have a better plan than a Sanchez bounce-back and playing rookie Cole.

Either we overvalued Paredes trade market or undervalued what a controllable lefty bat would cost, and now we're going to pay for it.

I'm not exactly worried about losing Dubon. The INF depth is deep. I wouldn't want Doobie getting starts ahead of Correa, Pena, Paredes, Altuve, or Walker. He kind of turns into a 4th OF type. Again, its closer, but I want Cam, Meyers, Sanchez (vs RHP), and maybe even Cole starting over him.

Let's sign Gallen and really solidify the starting rotation.

Since back in May, I've been writing books for school libraries about Texas history for a publishing company. Recently, I did one on Michael Dell. .I was able to sneak this one past the goalie and into the final copy.

In 2000, Dell Diamond was opened in Round Rock, Texas, near Austin. It is a minor-league baseball stadium. It is the home of the Round Rock Express. The Express have been an affiliate team of both the two-time World Champion Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers since 2000.

Hornbeck said:

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$2M over the season, with $11M in payments starting in 2030

That's how I read it

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right that makes sense

I wonder if the Astros' reluctance to dive into the deferment game is related to rumors that Crane is selling the franchise.

Farmer1906 said:

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Mathguy64 said:

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This whole off season has been us sitting back while every other contender makes move after move.

I do not want to make a move for the sake of making one, but it feels like we have done nothing to address any needs or holes.

---

I am not sure I agree with this. It feels like a lot of deck shuffling and retooling.

Some claim the Mets had a great offseason, but I think they added a bunch of guys just to break even.

The Yankees won 94 games and basically are running back the same team.

The Red Sox added pitching, but at best broke even on offense.

The Mariners lost Polanco & Suarez, but gained Donny.

The Phillies didn't do much; the loss of Suarez tops anything that was added.

The Cubs had some big moves with Bregman and Cabrera, but losing out on Tucker, Castro, and Rogers isn't insignificant.

The Braves gained added bullpen help with Saurez, but lost some pop with Ozuna.

The teams, IMO, that clearly got better and were already contenders are the Dodgers, Blue Jays, and Tigers (to a lesser extent).

I think the Astros fit in with the majority of the contenders where we lost (Framber), but then addressed it (Imai, Burrows) too.

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Time will tell is we replaced Framber in the aggregate. First year Japanese pitchers need some adjustment time.

It's the lack of a solution (so far) for the INF logjam that concerns me. That and getting any real pop in the OF.

Farmer1906 said:

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txags92 said:

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Farmer1906 said:

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Mathguy64 said:

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This whole off season has been us sitting back while every other contender makes move after move.

I do not want to make a move for the sake of making one, but it feels like we have done nothing to address any needs or holes.

---

I am not sure I agree with this. It feels like a lot of deck shuffling and retooling.

Some claim the Mets had a great offseason, but I think they added a bunch of guys just to break even.

The Yankees won 94 games and basically are running back the same team.

The Red Sox added pitching, but at best broke even on offense.

The Mariners lost Polanco & Suarez, but gained Donny.

The Phillies didn't do much; the loss of Suarez tops anything that was added.

The Cubs had some big moves with Bregman and Cabrera, but losing out on Tucker, Castro, and Rogers isn't insignificant.

The Braves gained added bullpen help with Saurez, but lost some pop with Ozuna.

The teams, IMO, that clearly got better and were already contenders are the Dodgers, Blue Jays, and Tigers (to a lesser extent).

I think the Astros fit in with the majority of the contenders where we lost (Framber), but then addressed it (Imai, Burrows) too.

---

I think our problem is that at least on their face, our pitching moves seem to at best have stood pat and we are hoping our rotation this year matches last year's efforts. Where we really needed the help was on offense, and we have done literally nothing to improve there and let Caratini walk without replacing him and traded Dubon for what appears to be the Temu version of him. Like him or not, Dubon's versatility was a big plus in overcoming the number of injuries and days off that guys needed last year, even if he was probably overused relative to what we would prefer. We needed solid bats and some more lefties and we added nothing. Maybe Sanchez and Cole and Smith will step up and the rest of the guys stay healthier. But to me it seems like our season strategy is hoping for the best, and hope is not generally a solid platform for improvement year over year.

---

This is a fair criticism. I think it's ridiculous we haven't been able to address it with another bat. Our offense vs RHP was pitiful. I'd like to have a better plan than a Sanchez bounce-back and playing rookie Cole.

Either we overvalued Paredes trade market or undervalued what a controllable lefty bat would cost, and now we're going to pay for it.

I'm not exactly worried about losing Dubon. The INF depth is deep. I wouldn't want Doobie getting starts ahead of Correa, Pena, Paredes, Altuve, or Walker. He kind of turns into a 4th OF type. Again, its closer, but I want Cam, Meyers, Sanchez (vs RHP), and maybe even Cole starting over him.

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I agree that Dubon is not a huge loss, other than it takes 2 guys to replace him defensively given what he could do for you with his ability to play everywhere. If Matthews takes a step forward at 2B and Cole and/or Dezenzo show up in the OF, and Sanchez reverts to form against RHP, then I think we will be in really good shape if everybody else stays relatively healthy. But that was a lot of IFs to build a full season lineup around, and I am kind of disappointed that Dana wasn't able to do more this offseason.

agproducer said:

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Wabs said:

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Let's sign Gallen and really solidify the starting rotation.

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He signed with the Pads yesterday.

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agproducer said:

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Wabs said:

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Let's sign Gallen and really solidify the starting rotation.

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He signed with the Pads yesterday.

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I do not think this is accurate as of yet. Im seeing that he is still available, though it doesn't seem like there is any chance we sign him.

Mathguy64 said:

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Farmer1906 said:

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Mathguy64 said:

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This whole off season has been us sitting back while every other contender makes move after move.

I do not want to make a move for the sake of making one, but it feels like we have done nothing to address any needs or holes.

---

I am not sure I agree with this. It feels like a lot of deck shuffling and retooling.

Some claim the Mets had a great offseason, but I think they added a bunch of guys just to break even.

The Yankees won 94 games and basically are running back the same team.

The Red Sox added pitching, but at best broke even on offense.

The Mariners lost Polanco & Suarez, but gained Donny.

The Phillies didn't do much; the loss of Suarez tops anything that was added.

The Cubs had some big moves with Bregman and Cabrera, but losing out on Tucker, Castro, and Rogers isn't insignificant.

The Braves gained added bullpen help with Saurez, but lost some pop with Ozuna.

The teams, IMO, that clearly got better and were already contenders are the Dodgers, Blue Jays, and Tigers (to a lesser extent).

I think the Astros fit in with the majority of the contenders where we lost (Framber), but then addressed it (Imai, Burrows) too.

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Time will tell is we replaced Framber in the aggregate. First year Japanese pitchers need some adjustment time.

It's the lack of a solution (so far) for the INF logjam that concerns me. That and getting any real pop in the OF.

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A few thoughts.

The 2025 Framber was one of the worst versions of him. That was still a good pitcher when you zoom out and look at his seasons as a whole. He was elite early and miserable late. From July 5th to Sept 20th (the last 13 starts minus the meaningless last one), he sported a 5.21 ERA.

Some of the time, there is a real adjustment for first-year Japanese pitchers. But there is also an adjustment time for hitters & scouting departments seeing him for the first time.

But between Imai, Burrows, Weiss, Pearson, Javier (more time to get 100%), Spaghetti, McCullers (again, more time to get 100%), Blueballs, Alexnader, and maybe even Ullla I really like our depth.

I do agree, more needs (needed) to be done in the OF and lineup, specifically, vs RHP.

AggieJ2002 said:

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agproducer said:

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Wabs said:

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Let's sign Gallen and really solidify the starting rotation.

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He signed with the Pads yesterday.

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I do not think this is accurate as of yet. Im seeing that he is still available, though it doesn't seem like there is any chance we sign him.

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You are right! I saw an erroneous report. Carry-on! I've been an advocate for Gallen for awhile.

Long time Astros fan here going all the way back to the Colt 45 days. Over the years I've observed some great deals made by Astros management that got the fan base excited. However after not making the playoffs in 2025 I expected that there would be significant changes made, especially on the offensive side, specifically a left handed bat to balance the lineup. I'm actually okay with the pitching additions made, but disappointed and frustrated that the three team trade that was potentially bringing Donovan to the Astros fell through and he ended up with Seattle. Over the last few weeks there have been tons of rumors regarding Parades, but nothing happens. Other teams seem to find creative measures to get deals finalized, i.e. deferments, but we seem to be missing out on getting deals done. I know that our farm system is weak and Crane has no intention of exceeding the luxury tax but there were mentions all during the off-season that there would be changes, especially from Dana. I'll still support this team no matter what and hope for the best but as each day passes by before opening day it's frustrating that nothing to improve the offense has been done yet. Rant over.

Good for JV -- and he likely goes into the Hall in a Tigers cap -- BUT --- let's look at accolades. I think a case could still be made for Houston. It depends on what the Hall values more -- longevity with one team, All-Star appearances, Cy Youngs, league leader in stats, awards.

Detroit:

14 seasons including this coming year
183-112 record -- .616 win%
3.49 ERA, 1.191 WHIP
2 WS appearances
6X All-Star
1 MVP
1 CY
1 AL ERA leader
4X AL K leader
2X AL wins leader
2X AL WHIP leader


Houston:

7 seasons (including injured 2021 and half of 2017 and half of 2023)
73-28 record -- .723 win%
2.71 ERA, .918 WHIP
2X WS Champion, 3 appearances
3X All-Star
2 CY
1 ALCS MVP (2017)
1 AL ERA leader
1 AL K leader
2X AL wins leader
2X AL SO/BB ratio leader
2X AL WHIP leader

Injuries are already showing up:

Anthony Santander will have left labral surgery tomorrow pic.twitter.com/j6dFErtBrZ

— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) February 10, 2026

Francisco Lindor will be evaluated tomorrow as he deals with a stress reaction in his left hamate bone

Surgery could be on the able for Lindor, which would mean a six-week recovery timeline

David Stearns and the Mets are "optimistic" he'll be ready for Opening Day pic.twitter.com/P7bEyqNNTX

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) February 10, 2026

Kris Bryant will begin the season on the 60-day injured list

Bryant, who hasn't played since April 12th of last season, said in November that his back pain was affecting his everyday life pic.twitter.com/qkrjdLIwm8

— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) February 10, 2026

Bryant just needs to retire.