MLB insider believes the Baltimore Orioles and Los Angeles Dodgers will be top bidders in trade for three-time Cy Young winner
According to a recent rumor from a top MLB insider, the Baltimore Orioles and Los Angeles Dodgers are significant competitors for a potential Hall-of-Fame pitcher who may be available for trade in July.
The Orioles and Dodgers are two of the league’s strongest clubs entering today’s games. They are both at the top of their respective divisions, living up to the expectations they had going into the 2024 season. And teams like theirs, which are World Series hopefuls, can never have too much skill.
Both have strong starting rotations, but come postseason time, teams can always use more front-line pitching, and there may be multiple impact arms available.
Justin Verlander, a two-time World Series champion, has recently been the subject of trade speculation.
Justin Verlander numbers (2024): 1-1 record, 4.43 ERA, 1.388 WHIP, 15 strikeouts, 10 walks, and 22.1 innings pitched.
The nine-time All-Star is off to a bumpy start this season, but so are the 14-24 Houston Astros, who may be looking to trade if they don’t improve and get back into the race in a stacked American League West. If the Astros decide to sell the 41-year-old legend before the July 30 MLB trade deadline, New York Post league insider Jon Heyman believes two teams will be favorites.
“[Verlander] has full no trade, but the guess is he might accept L.A. or (close to hometown) Baltimore,” Heyman wrote last week.
Justin Verlander’s contract: Two years, $86 million (with a vested option for $17 million in 2025).
While he did not specifically say the Dodgers, let’s be honest: he will not accept a trade to the Angels at this juncture in his career. The Orioles would be the favorites in a hypothetical deal since they have one of the league’s strongest farm systems and would almost surely have assets that the Astros would be interested in.
