Verlander's 2-year, $50M deal with Astros official after language holdup

Justin Verlander's contract with the Houston Astros is now official, his brother and FOX Sports analyst Ben Verlander confirmed Monday.

Despite the ongoing lockout, Major League Baseball approved the two-time Cy Young winner's contract after the league and union worked out some final details. It was initially held up due to issues with contract language, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

Verlander agreed to re-sign with Houston in November, but it wasn't announced as part of the flurry of pre-lockout transactions on Dec. 1, leading to the belief that it was never completed. However, the Astros had submitted it to the league for approval hours before the collective bargaining agreement expired, making it valid, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.

Teams aren't allowed to sign players to major-league deals or have contact with their players during the lockout.

The reworked contract will still pay Verlander $25 million in each of the next two seasons and includes a player option after 2022.

Verlander has made just one start since 2019 while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. Now fully healthy, he reportedly had several suitors before choosing to return to Houston.

An eight-time All-Star, Verlander is one of the most decorated pitchers of his generation, winning the 2011 AL MVP with the Detroit Tigers and leading his league in strikeouts five times. The 38-year-old joined the Astros in 2017 and has helped lead them to a pair of AL pennants and a World Series title over his three-plus years with the club.