Astros Owner Gives Worrisome Update on Justin Verlander Negotiations

It's been roughly three weeks since Justin Verlander opted out of his contract with the Houston Astros, and he still remains unsigned.

The Astros were initially favored to bring him back after winning the World Series together in 2022, but it sounds like negotiations aren't progressing as hoped based on the latest update from team owner Jim Crane.

Justin Verlander Free Agency Rumors

According to Crane, he hasn't visited with or spoken with Verlander lately. While that's somewhat understandable given that Thanksgiving was last week, it's a concerning update for Astros fans nevertheless.

Perhaps Verlander is simply laying low for a bit to see what's out there and let his market develop. The offseason is off to a slow start, after all, so he might still be in wait-and-see mode to get a sense of who's interested in him and how other teams are valuing him.

Still, it's not a great sign that Crane hasn't been communicating much with his team's ace. It's hard to negotiate when nobody's speaking, after all.

Crane should think about reaching out soon and getting the ball rolling, lest another team swoop in and steal the reigning AL Cy Young winner out from under him.