Ausmus would be 'shocked' by Verlander trade

Justin Verlander has cleared revocable waivers - allowing Detroit Tigers general manager Al Avila to shop the six-time All-Star to any team he wants - but manager Brad Ausmus said he'd be "shocked" if the veteran right-hander was dealt in the next few weeks.

"It's too hard really to have a trade go through," Ausmus said Tuesday during an appearance on MLB Network Radio. "He's through waivers but it's so difficult to put a trade together. You have to have the right people, I'm sure there are financial implications and (Verlander) has a no-trade clause. So it's extremely complicated, I'd be shocked if anything happened. I think he'll be here through the rest of the season for sure."

Despite those hurdles, Verlander, who's guaranteed roughly $64.4 million through the 2019 campaign, continues to draw interest as Aug. 31 - the last day teams can acquire a player eligible to compete on their postseason roster - nears. Earlier this week, after Verlander reportedly piqued the interest of the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers leading up to the non-waiver trade deadline, sources told FOX Sports' Jon Morosi that the Houston Astros had contacted the Tigers about the 34-year-old. It's not clear if trade discussions progressed in any meaningful way, however.

Still, Verlander has managed to improve his trade stock in recent weeks after struggling through the first few months of the 2017 campaign. After finishing second in AL Cy Young voting last year, he owns a 2.31 ERA and 3.38 strikeout-to-walk ratio over his last six starts, a run that's lowered his cumulative ERA to 4.20 (104 ERA+) over 137 innings this season.