Dodgers Rumors: Insider Reveals Justin Verlander’s Preferred Trade Destination

He has a full no-trade clause.

The MLB Trade Deadline is almost here, and the biggest name on the market continues to be New York Mets ace Justin Verlander.

After dealing David Robertson, Mark Canha and Max Scherzer, it seems more than likely that Verlander gets dealt, too, ahead of the 3 p.m. deadline on August 1.

Verlander has been heavily linked to the Dodgers, a team still in need of starting pitching as we head into August. However, another team has joined the race, and it's none other than Verlander's former squad, the Houston Astros.

And not only are the Astros interested in Verlander, but according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Verlander is assumed to prefer Houston, too.

"Talks are fluid, and subject to change. But multiple sources briefed on the discussions told The Athletic on Monday that the Astros remain involved in the Verlander talks. Some believe a return to Houston is the future Hall of Famer’s preferred outcome, citing, in part, his relationship with Crane."

Verlander has a full no-trade clause in his contract, so the 40-year-old will have tons of control over this process over the next handful of hours. If he wants to be traded — which would make the most sense at this point in his career — he would have a lot of say in where he ends up going.

Of course, the Mets would still be able to get their preferred package, but if Verlander said he wanted to go to Houston and only Houston, New York would have to find a way to make a deal happen, or keep him in the Big Apple for the rest of the season.

Now the Dodgers aren't out of the race by any means, and they still seem interested in bringing the three-time Cy Young Award winner to LA. But they may be facing an uphill battle if Verlander wants to go back to Houston.