Verlander, Turner agree to deals as winter meetings heat up

Justin Verlander departs Houston to step in for Jacob deGrom, who left New York after nine seasons when he agreed to a five-year contract with Texas last week. Trea Turner joins a Philadelphia team that made it to the World Series this year before losing to Verlander and the Astros.

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December 6, 2022 - 1:47 PM

Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander during the first inning of Game 1.

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Justin Verlander is going to the New York Mets. Trea Turner has agreed to a blockbuster deal with the Philadelphia Phillies. There are three more high-profile shortstops in free agency, along with ace pitcher Carlos Rodón.

And one big slugger looms above the whole market.

Baseball’s first winter meetings since 2019 kicked into high gear Monday when Verlander agreed to an $86.7 million, two-year deal with New York, and Turner joined Philadelphia for a $300 million, 11-year contract. Clayton Kershaw also returned to the Los Angeles Dodgers on a $20 million, one-year deal.

The biggest outstanding question at the end of an impactful day at a downtown San Diego hotel centered on the status of AL MVP Aaron Judge, who was all the way across the country at the NFL’s “Monday Night Football” game at Tampa Bay — right across the street from the Yankees’ spring training complex.

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