Houston Astros All-Time Great Predicted Not To Return Next Season

The Houston Astros legend could be on his way out in free agency this winter.

Houston Astros pitcher Justin Verlander takes the mound before pitching against Detroit Tigers during the first inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Sunday, May 12, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It's a tough day for the Houston Astros after being knocked out by the Detroit Tigers in the Wild Card Round.

Sadly, this tough day might just be the beginning of what's to come for the Astros. By no means is their dynasty run coming to an end, but things might look a bit different moving forward.

With multiple free agents to make decisions on, it's possible that Wednesday was the last time Alex Bregman and Justin Verlander will ever be in the home dugout at Minute Maid Park.

If either of the two players were to return, the chances of Bregman being the one seems much higher than Verlander.

At some point, every player starts to slow down, and that was the case this year for the all-time great right-handed pitcher.

Don't put it past Verlander figuring it out again, but with his injuries and age being a major factor in his lack of success this season, it seems fair to say that it won't be in a Houston jersey.

Cody Williams of FanSided expects that to be the case, writing that the Virginia native "definitely won't be back" in 2025.

"Not only was Verlander on the shelf due to injuries for much of the year, ultimately being limited to just 17 starts and 90.1 innings on the year, he was nothing like the dominant ace we've long been accustomed to seeing on the bump. He finished his season with a 5.48 ERA and 1.384 WHIP, two of the highest marks of his career since his rookie season. The fact that Verlander was left off of the Astros roster for the Wild Card Series against the Tigers tells you everything you need to know about the future of the veteran right-hander with this organization."

The Astros leaving Verlander off the postseason roster might not be the best indication of his future with the club. That was expected to be the case, as he's had about six days between starts. The Wild Card series didn't fall in that window.

Still, that also doesn't tell the story about what Houston will do in free agency.

Their pitching staff stepped up throughout the two games in the playoffs, but for much of the campaign, they hardly got by. For them to be in a better position moving forward, they need guys ready to pitch.

If Verlander can't do that anymore, moving on from him is the logical thing to do.