Detroit — Justin Verlander isn’t looking to turn these last two-plus months into a farewell tour. That’s not why he announced that this will be his last season.
“I’m not doing this to stand up in every stadium and receive a gift,” Verlander said. “I don’t want that. It just made sense, with the timing of everything.”
It made sense to, as he said, paint a clear picture of his future intensions on the same day commissioner Rob Manfred selected Verlander to the All-Star Game in Philadelphia as a Legend Pick.
He wants to enjoy his 10th and final All-Star experience, especially alongside a couple of his first-time All-Star teammates, Kevin McGonigle and Dillon Dingler, plus third-time All-Star Riley Greene, without having to answer questions about next season or beyond.
“Justin and I talked the last few weeks and I just tried to be a good listener and let him get through the process of breaking down what he wanted to do,” manager AJ Hinch said. “And it always came back to two things: He wanted to be transparent and the difficulty of talking about this while emphasizing that he really wants to get back on the field.
“Pitching is still his highest priority.”
That was abundantly clear during his press conference Wednesday. You could feel his competitive juices starting to flow.
“I came back here with the intention of being part of a great run of a playoff caliber team and hopefully doing something special,” Verlander said. “That hasn’t changed. It’s just become harder … We know the situation we’ve put ourselves in. But our job at this point is to make Scott (Harris, president) have a hard decision to make and to put him in a position to be buyers and not sellers and go for it.”
Verlander expects to get himself back in the rotation at some point after the All-Star break. He’s going to throw a bullpen Thursday and will go to Lakeland and continue his work during the break.
“My arm feels great,” he said. “Pretty ironic that my arm is still doing what it’s supposed to do. This thing has served me well for a long time now and that’s not what’s failing me.”
It’s his lower body. First it was hip inflammation. Then, as he was on the verge of being activated, he strained his hamstring.
“I’m starting to feel the best I have all year right now,” he said. “This isn’t just saying goodbye and then sitting on the bench the rest of the year. That’s not who I am and it’s not how I’ve gotten to where I am. I am watching these guys going out and having fun and I’m watching our (pitching) staff just absolutely dominate and I want to be a part of that.”
His decision to retire after the season was a separate consideration. And, after weighing so many factors, from his family to his health to the possibility of a labor dispute and work stoppage in 2027, it ended up being a fairly easy call for him.
“Yeah, I mean, here I am at the All-Star break and I haven’t been able to pitch except for one start,” Verlander said. “The writing was on the wall. My body was sending signals that it’s not quite capable … It wasn’t that hard. It wasn’t that abrupt. I’ve had time to think about things and contemplate all of the analysis I needed to make this decision.”
He was asked about his accomplishments and those he would leave unattained, like 300 wins and 4,000 strikeouts. But getting there would be more of a commitment than his body would likely allow.
“Does anybody ever accomplish everything they want to?” he said. “My body of work is great. I’m very proud of what I have been able to accomplish but there are quite a few things that will gnaw at me forever and ever. But I know I gave and I am giving everything.”
There is one thing that he can still accomplish. And it’s a power motivator for him. He wants badly to step back on the mound at Comerica Park with the Old English D on his chest and make another start or two for the Tigers.
“It’s a big part of it,” he said. “I feel like I pulled the rug out twice (on the fans) and it really gutted me. I hated doing that. It’s something I envisioned the moment I signed back here, just being back on that mound in this uniform. I want it just as bad as anyone else.”
Tarik Skubal, the Tigers’ two-time Cy Young winner, sat in the back of the room listening to Verlander speak Wednesday. His career could take a turn similar to Verlander’s, either at the trade deadline Aug. 3 or next offseason when he becomes a free agent.
“It’s important to respect the game from one of the game’s best pitchers ever,” Skubal said. “I know that decision was tough for him. I want to support him and let him know I have his back. But also just to listen to a guy speak like that — just a ton of knowledge to take away from how he speaks and what he’s saying and how he goes about his business.
“He’s been great for everybody in this clubhouse. Just being around guys who are really, really good and have been doing it for such a long time. I mean, our goals are aligned. I want to do the same thing.”
But let’s not bury him just yet.
“There’s going to be a time to really sit here and reminisce and focus more on the actual retirement,” Verlander said. “Right now my focus is still to get out there and be the best version of myself I can be for this team. We are playing great baseball right now and things are going well. We are trending in the right direction and I’m champing on the bit to be a part of that.”
Chris.McCosky@detroitnews.com
@cmccosky
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: No farewell tour, Verlander’s main focus is finishing season strong
Reporting by Chris McCosky, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Chris McCosky, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
