SF Giants Rumors: Justin Verlander may be headed back to the American League

The SF Giants must have been pleasantly surprised by what they got out of 42-year-old Justin Verlander last season. A reunion seems highly unlikely though, and the veteran may be headed back to the American League.

Recent rumors suggest that the Baltimore Orioles have some interest in the future Cooperstown inductee. It does not seem like they are pursuing him aggressively, but he could be a backup plan if their pursuit of a higher-end free agent starting pitcher does not pan out.

SF Giants reunion with Justin Verlander seems highly unlikely

A reunion with Verlander seemed unlikely once the Giants added both Adrian Houser and Tyler Mahle. Adding those veterans gave the Giants five viable starters on paper and they seem content to rely on their younger arms like Carson Whisenhunt and Hayden Birdsong for depth.

Even though Verlander had such a great 2025 season with the Giants, it always felt a little bit like both sides would pursue other options. The hope was the Giants would go after one of the top-end arms on the market, but instead they took a much more modest path.

As for Verlander, he is still chasing 300 wins and the Giants blew a number of games that easily could have been wins for him last season. He may want to join a team that can get him some better run support or protect a lead better than a currently porous Giants bullpen and inconsistent Giants lineup could.

Plus, Verlander's family lives in Florida so coming across the country to San Francisco and having spring training in Arizona for the first time must have been a little hard on him. Going back to the American League, where he has spent the majority of his career, especially on an east coast team would make a ton of sense so he could have spring training in Florida.

Still, it is no surprise that Verlander wants to keep pitching after what he did last season. In 29 starts and 152 innings pitched he had a 3.85 ERA with 137 strikeouts and 52 walks. He got better as the year went on and by the end of the season he was arguably the most reliable starter the Giants had.

It may take some time for him to find a home, but some team is bound to take a chance on him if they have an open spot in the rotation and are willing to roll the dice that the veteran can have a repeat of his 2025 performance.