Is There a Path for This Houston Astros Pitcher to Make the Postseason Roster?

The Houston Astros will have some tough decisions to make when trimming down the roster in preparations of the postseason. One of those tough questions will involve future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander.

Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros are on the path to the inevitable. 

Even after their recent loss against the Seattle Mariners on Monday night, the Astros remain firmly atop the American League West standings with only a handful of games remaining in the regular season. They will return to the postseason after beginning the year 7-19, the worst 26-game start in franchise history dating back to 1969. Houston will look to reach their eighth straight American League Championship Series (ALCS) and their fifth World Series within that span.

However, not all questions have been answered for this Astros team as they prepare to construct their playoff roster, especially with their starting rotation. One of the top concerns is what they should do with Justin Verlander. 

The 41-year-old pitcher has not been the same pitcher he has been in seasons past since returning from the injured list just one month ago. Since then, Verlander has recorded a 1-4 record with an 8.89 ERA in the six games he has started since recovering from his neck discomfort. These are not the type of numbers you are looking for from a three-time AL Cy Young winner and former AL MVP. 

However, the former Old Dominion Monarch is playing on house money. After having Tommy John surgery that kept him out all of the 2021 season, Verlander came back strong and picked up his final Cy Young award at the age of 39, when no one expected him to do so. It may finally be that Father Time is finally catching up to the right-hander.

The Astros fans felt it the other night as he made the start this past Friday night at Minute Maid Park against the Los Angeles Angels. Although he was pulled before finishing the fifth inning after allowing six runs to score on eight hits, the crowd gave him a standing ovation, just in case it was the last time he threw from that mound as a player of the Astros. 

With young talent such as Hunter Brown, who has rebounded nicely this season after starting off dreadful, and Spencer Arrighetti, who has shown flashes of greatness lately, the Astros rotation may not need to rely on a potential risk like Verlander has been as of late heading into the postseason. The front of the rotation consisting of Ronel Blanco,  Framber Valdez (who will most likely be your game-one starter in the playoffs), and recent trade acquisition Yusei Kikuchi, the apparent odd man out, seems like the Verlander. 

But it doesn’t mean there isn’t a spot for him on the postseason roster.  

Could a role for Verlander out of the bullpen make sense? To answer that question, lets take a step back five years in the past to the 2019 World Series. 

The Astros went up against the Washington Nationals, ultimately falling in seven games. The Nationals also had some decisions to make with their rotation heading into the postseason, one involving recent trade acquisition Patrick Corbin. After being traded over from the Arizona Diamondbacks at the MLB Trade Deadline, Corbin entered the Nationals rotation until the postseason. There, he moved into a reliever role and played a pivotal part in the team, picking up the franchise's first Word Series championship. In both games, he came out in relief for Washington in both games 1 and 7 of the Fall classic, Corbin combined for four shutout innings. 

If used this way this coming postseason, Verlander would be a valuable piece for the Astros in higher-leverage situations. 

Although rosters currently sit at 28 players for the month of September, they will return to the normal 26 once the playoffs begin. With the roster crunch and the potential role change, who could Justin Verlander replace in the team’s bullpen?

His postseason experience is worth keeping him on the roster alone as they look to make another magical and, in this season, somewhat improbable run back to the top.