Verlander Trade Talks 'Dead,' Won't Be Moved Tonight, Reporter Says
DETROIT -- It appears Justin Verlander will be finishing the season as a Detroit Tiger after all.
The Tigers' star pitcher has been in the center of trade rumors for the past two months, and again was a popular name in trade talks on the final day of the waiver-wire trade deadline. However, a report indicates that trade talk on Verlander is officially "dead."
ESPN baseball reporter Jerry Crasnick tweeted shortly after 9 p.m. on Thursday that a source confirmed Verlander will not be moved before midnight -- the official deadline for a player on waivers to be traded and be eligible for the postseason.
There was rumors/reports that the Tigers were still in active conversations with a number of teams for Verlanders' services, including the Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees. Earlier in the day Jon Morosi, insider for MLB Network, tweeted the Tigers were in "active discussions" on the possibility of trading Verlander.
Other insiders have voiced similar thoughts throughout Thursday about the Tigers looking to shop around Verlander. However, none have tweeted anything else that indicates a deal was in the works.
Verlander has been hot as of late with a 5-1 record, 2.06 ERA and 56 strikeouts in his last seven starts. He's pitched at least six innings in each of those starts and has given up more than two earned runs only once during this stretch.
There is still time for the a trade to be made but it sounds like there won't be a move before the clock hits midnight tonight. The Verlander trade watch will shift to the offseason as the Tigers have made it clear they will enter complete rebuild mode after trading away Justin Upton this afternoon.
