Justin Verlander Declines $25M Astros Contract Option for 2023 Season, Will Be FA

Justin Verlander is officially set to join a stacked MLB free-agent class this offseason.

The veteran pitcher declined the $25 million option for the 2023 season on his contract Thursday, according to MLB Network's Jon Morosi.

Morosi noted that it was an expected result since it will allow Verlander to perhaps pursue a longer and more lucrative contract on the open market.

Verlander agreed to a one-year, $25 million deal with this player option for 2023 in November 2021, although there was something of a workload contingency for the option to go into effect.

He triggered it in August when he surpassed the 130-inning threshold, which was notable given his recent injury concerns.

"I wasn't pitching to get to 130 innings," he told reporters at the time. "When we were doing the contract, [Astros owner] Jim [Crane] told me they wanted 130 innings for my player option. I was asking for a straight player option and they said they'd like 130 innings, and that was that. I thought that was a very fair number the way I like to pitch."

Verlander pitched just one game during the shortened 2020 campaign and missed the entirety of the 2021 season thanks to Tommy John surgery. He also missed time in 2022 with a calf injury and will be 40 years old during the upcoming season.

While durability and age may be fair reasons for concern, he is a future Hall of Famer and one of the best pitchers of his generation. He also looked as dominant as ever for much of the 2022 campaign when he was on the mound, which likely contributed to this decision since he could make more money on the open market as a free agent.

Even with the calf injury, he was perhaps the best pitcher in the American League, leading the AL with 18 wins, a 1.75 ERA and a 0.82 WHIP, while striking out 185 batters in 175 innings.

He also help the Astros win the World Series, marking his second championship during his time in Houston.

Verlander has been with the Astros since they landed him in a trade with the Detroit Tigers in 2017, and he has solidified what may have already been a Hall of Fame resume.

He showed no signs of slowing down last season, and provided the Astros make a fair offer, it is difficult to envision him signing elsewhere despite opting out.