Posey says SF Giants 'definitely' have interest in bringing back Justin Verlander

SF Giants pitcher Justin Verlander has been on a roll as of late. It is not an overstatement to say he is the best pitcher on the staff currently and when asked, president of baseball operations Buster Posey said the team would have interest in bringing him back.

Posey appeared on KNBR and was asked about Verlander's great form as of late and whether the Giants would want him back next season. This is what he had to say: "Yeah, definitely. I mean, it's something we'll have to discuss, but, you know, for a multitude of reasons, he's been a great teammate. I think he's helped some of our younger guys learn how to prepare, and then he just sets an example by going out and performing and continuing to show up. So yeah, definitely something we'll be open to.”

Posey says SF Giants have interest in bringing back Verlander

Obviously, this does not guarantee that Verlander is going to be a Giant in 2026. The 42-year-old has made it very clear as of late that he wants to pitch in 2026, but that does not mean it will be in San Francisco.

He signed a one-year $15 million deal with the Giants last offseason so that means he will hit free agency following this season. Many factors will likely impact where he wants to pitch in 2026, but he has looked really good as of late so the Giants could argue he should stay with them to try and keep that momentum going.

On the season, Verlander has a 3.75 ERA in 27 starts. He has pitched 141 and 2/3 innings and has 127 strikeouts on the year. His 3-10 record has largely been due to bad luck and the bullpen squandering leads as he should probably have closer to seven wins on the year.

In his last seven starts he has been dominant with a 1.91 ERA across 42 and 1/3 innings with 40 strikeouts. In his last five starts he has gone at least five innings each time out and has allowed two earned runs or less. One of those starts was a masterful performance against the Los Angeles Dodgers which may end up being his finest moment as a Giant.

With the current state of San Francisco's rotation going into next season, it would not be a terrible idea to bring back Verlander. If the Giants had a rotation consisting of Logan Webb, Robbie Ray, Landen Roupp, and Verlander going into 2026 with the fifth spot in the rotation either going to one of their young arms or potentially going to another pitcher acquired via trade or free agency they would probably be happy with that.

We shall see if he ends up spending another year with the Giants, but it is not a huge shock that Posey and the front office will at least kick the wheels on that idea in the offseason.

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