Three-time Cy Young award winner and 2011 American League MVP Justin Verlander has pitched in 38 postseason games over his illustrious career. But he's never before matched up in the playoffs against the team that originally drafted him second overall in 2004 and memorably traded him away 14 years later, the Detroit Tigers .
It could have finally happened this week, but the Houston Astros did not include Verlander on the roster for their best-of-3 AL wild card series against the Tigers, which gets underway today in Houston.
While the Verlander deal at the 2017 trade deadline might have been the missing piece in the Astros' run to the franchise's first World Series title, it was also supposed to help jump-start a rebuilding plan for the Tigers, who finished a dismal 64-98 that season.
Seven years later, here's how that trade looks in hindsight:
Why did the Tigers trade Justin Verlander?
The deal literally came down to the last minute on the last day possible. While the traditional MLB trade deadline was July 31, MLB rules at the time allowed teams to trade players who had been put on waivers until Aug. 31.
The Tigers were three years removed from their run of four consecutive AL Central division titles, and Verlander was open to being traded. But potential deals to the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs – for whom Verlander would waive his no-trade clause – never gained traction.
The Astros were the last option. And just two minutes before midnight, the two teams agreed to a deal, with the Astros paying $8 million of Verlander's salary for the next two years and giving him a full no-trade clause.
Who did the Tigers get in the Justin Verlander trade?
In exchange for the then-34-year-old Verlander, Detroit received Houston's No. 3, No. 9 and No. 11 prospects – pitcher Franklin Perez, outfielder Daz Cameron and catcher Jake Rogers.
Obviously, things turned out well for Houston, with Verlander winning ALCS MVP honors and leading the Astros to a World Series title in 2017. The next two years, he was an AL All-Star, finishing second and first in the AL Cy Young award balloting before blowing out his elbow and missing virtually all of the 2020 and 2021 seasons.
As for the Tigers' acquisitions:
- Right-hander Franklin Perez made it to Class AA as a 19-year-old in 2017. However, injury issues kept him from building up any significant workload the following two years, and he did not pitch in 2020 when the COVID pandemic wiped out the entire minor league season. In 2024 at Class AA Gary (Ind.), Perez was 0-4 with a 9.45 ERA in 33 ⅓ innings.
- Outfielder Daz Cameron , son of former MLB outfielder Mike Cameron, reached the majors with the Tigers in 2020, hitting .193 as a September call-up in 57 at-bats. He spent parts of 2021 and 2022 with Detroit before being released, playing the entire 2023 season for the Baltimore Orioles' Class AAA team. Cameron signed with the Oakland A's last winter at age 27 and returned to the majors in 2024, hitting .200 with five homers and 15 RBI in 170 at-bats.
- Catcher Jake Rogers made his MLB debut with the Tigers in 2019, hitting .125 with four homers in 112 at-bats. He also appeared in 38 games in 2021 before tearing the UCL in his throwing elbow and missing all of the 2022 season recovering from Tommy John surgery . He returned to play more than 100 games each of the past two seasons. Rogers, now 29, has a reputation as a strong defensive catcher, but he's a career .202 hitter.
Who won the Justin Verlander trade between the Tigers and Astros?
It's easy to say the Astros were the overwhelming winners, with Verlander going 5-0 with a 1.06 ERA for them down the stretch in 2017 and winning ALCS MVP honors on the way to the franchise's first World Series title. He also turned in a pair of vintage Verlander seasons in 2018 and 2019.
The Tigers have gotten disappointing results from the three prospects they acquired, although Rogers has proved himself to be a capable major league catcher despite his offensive limitations.
Perhaps the silver lining for Detroit is that not having Verlander on the roster and suffering through several rough seasons following the trade allowed the team to get higher draft picks over the next several seasons. The Tigers drafted pitcher Casey Mize first overall in 2018 and starting outfielder Parker Meadows in the second round.
And in 2019, Detroit picked outfielder Riley Greene with the fifth overall pick in the first round.
Those players have all been significant contributors to the Tigers' 2024 playoff squad.
(This story has been updated to include additional information.)
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tigers, Astros meet in playoffs, seven years after blockbuster Justin Verlander trade
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