Verlander wants similar deal to Scherzer's 3 years, $130M

Justin Verlander is looking for a serious payday in free agency.

Houston Astros owner Jim Crane said the right-handed ace wants a deal similar to Max Scherzer's three-year, $130-million contract inked with the New York Mets last offseason, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com.

"I know him well, so we've been pretty candid," Crane said. "He's looking at the comp, which I think there's only one or two. ... JV's probably got a few years left, and he wants to make the most of it. I think he's going to test the market on that."

Crane added that he's heavily involved in the negotiation process with the AL Cy Young favorite.

Scherzer, who signed his deal heading into his age-37 campaign, holds a record $43.3-million average annual value. Verlander, who will be 40 years old next season, declined his $25-million option with the Astros.

Verlander went 18-4 with an MLB-best 1.75 ERA in 2022. The nine-time All-Star owns a 2.26 ERA, a 0.83 WHIP, and 11.4 K/9 across 652 innings (102 starts) since joining Houston in a trade with the Detroit Tigers in 2017. He's helped the Astros win two World Series titles.