Yankees are not signing a 37 year old+ pitcher coming off Tommy John surgery. I suspect he and the Astros will come to an arrangement.
Verlander is going to come back for the playoffs, take the closer role due the TJ, and dominate in 1 inning stints. Someone is going to buy into him being healthy and a winner, and he's going to get paid. Then we get a lockout anyway.
I’m calling that he returns next year on a QO before going back to the Tigers for a few years to close out his career
It is a different chess match closer vs starter. As a starter, you may save a pitch until the 2nd or 3rd at bats. You may hold a little back on you fast ball to get more pitches. You also know you are facing guys 3 times so you may set them up or try to sneak easy pitches by the first at bat. As closer, with 4 good pitches JV could have the advantage. But it will take work. Issue will be can he get loose quickly between innings and how will he adjust to the MLB cracking down on substances.
I wonder how much this also will affect teams willingness to pay this winter. He rejuvenated his career in Houston and, like it or not, the suspicion will be that he was assisted in that effort. I would love to see him back, and think the combination of comfort here, slight guilt for cashing out the last two years, and a very soft market should lead to a reasonable deal - maybe a one year deal with a player option for year 2.
They're a lot more pitchers out there, with a lot less natural talent and no HOF pedigree such as JV, that should be more worried about what the lack of sticky stuff will do to their careers. I do expect a market correction. Too bad the Yankees or Dodgers can't get a rebate on Cole/Bauer's 40 million/year.
As a closer, its all about command and throwing strikes. Some starters have adopted that mentality as well (Urquiddy) but as a starter you're also not as worried about one guy reaching base being possibly the end of the game. Some hitters will take a different approach in the 9th, sacrificing power for contact. Others will get themselves out knowing that they gotta make something happen. In the end, the 9th inning statistics probably play out like most other innings in the long run.... sorta like how if a player plays enough playoff games, even if he's deemed "clutch", his numbers will eventually regress towards their career numbers.
