Justin Verlander and the Detroit Tiger agreed to a 5 year $80 million deal and in turn avoiding arbitration with their staff ace. Verlander is coming off his best year in the majors posting a 19-9 record with a 3.45 ERA and a league leading 269 strikeouts. It was reported that Verlander was originally seeking a 6th year to the deal however it seems as though he will have to settle for 5. The Tigers used the recent Felix Hernandez contract as a basis for negotiations.
The Tigers made a smart move by signing Verlander to this long term extension. As has been illustrated this off season with the signing of John Lackey, Ben Sheets and even Brad Penny, teams are willing to pay for a quality (and some not so quality) starting pitcher. Verlander is coming into his own at this point in his career. He has demonstrated the ability to bounce back after post less then stellar numbers in the 2008 season. Verlander has arguably some of the most explosive stuff in the major leagues right now. His fastball was clocked at a league leading average of 95.6 mph and regularly tops 100 mph.
There is no question Verlander has great stuff and is one of the best pitchers in the game. However, something tells me he is headed for some arm issues after all the innings he has thrown. He is a maximum effort pitcher and the innings he is logging has to catch up with him eventually. Only time will tell. Despite this possibility, as with any pitcher, the Tigers have the potential of a great 1-3 in the rotation with Verlander, Rick Porcello, and Max Scherzer.