Cubs: 4 players on postseason rosters who are a perfect fit

Cubs: 4 perfect fits on postseason rosters: #2 – Justin Verlander

Ah, what might have been. I’m sure I’m not alone when I think back and think about what might have been when it comes to Justin Verlander and the Cubs. The good news is Jed Hoyer has a chance to make things right if he wants to put the league on notice this winter.

Is Verlander my top choice? Absolutely not. He turns 40 years old in February and is going to be looking for one last major payday on the heels of yet another Cy Young Award. Age has simply been a number to the right-hander, evidenced by his final start of the regular season, when he flirted with history, closing the year with an 18-4 record and a 1.75 ERA.

But if the Cubs go out and land their Carlos Correa or Trea Turner, and want to avoid a second long-term mega deal on top of it, giving Verlander two or three years at $30 million AAV to head up a young Chicago rotation could be worth the risk.

Thinking of a staff with Verlander, Steele, Marcus Stroman, Kyle Hendricks and a combination of Assad, Sampson and Thompson feels awfully nice. I’m not sure Hoyer will feel good about giving that much money to a 40-year-old pitcher, regardless of how good he’s been in 2022, but it’s still awfully fun to think about this guy mentoring the teams’ up-and-coming arms.