Justin Verlander is headed back to the Houston Astros following a blockbuster trade with the New York Mets on Tuesday, but for a brief moment, the Giants were part of the conversation for the future Hall of Famer.
The Giants were involved in trade talks for Verlander "for a sec," SNY's Andy Martino reported shortly before the Astros and Mets agreed to the terms of the trade.
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In the end, the Astros gave up two of their best prospects, including outfielder Drew Gilbert, widely considered their top overall prospect. Ryan Clifford, another top-5 Houston prospect is going to New York in the deal, which was officially announced just before 2:30 p.m. PT.
Based on what the Astros had to give up to bring Verlander back, the asking price surely was too steep for Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi.
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While Verlander is 40 years old and is under contract for more than $43 million in 2024, he would have been the type of battle-tested frontline starter the Giants could have paired with Logan Webb as they make a playoff push.
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But based on Martino's reporting, the Giants didn't have substantial conversations with the Mets before Verlander was traded to the Astros.
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