Justin Verlander, the ace of the Tigers who won the 2011 American League MVP and Cy Young, has made it known that he wants to become the first $200 million pitcher in the history of baseball.
"I don't play this game to make the most money. But I do feel like it would be nice to be compensated for what I feel like I've been: one of the best, if not the best, the last few years. In my career, I feel like I've been one of the top. But the last two years, I've kind of separated myself, me and a handful of other guys," Verlander said to Yahoo!. Last season, Verlander led all of baseball in innings pitched (238.1), strikeouts (239), complete games (six), and came in third in ERA (2.64).
While Verlander said he would like to experience the excitement of free agency, he expressed his love of playing in Detroit and said he would re-sign with the Tigers if the front office presented him with an offer he couldn't refuse. "I've gotten conflicting stories out there, and it's because I've said conflicting things. I've come out and said I love Detroit, love the idea of playing my entire career in Detroit, and I do. But also free agency is a cool idea. I can see how it came across as a mixed message."
Verlander is 30 years old entering the 2013 season, and the prospect of a long-term deal worth $200 million could be a scary prospect with the amount of innings he has thrown in his career (1,553.2), but his durability is part of what makes him elite. Verlander has thrown 200 innings or more in every season since 2007, and has said he wants to emulate Randy Johnson, who threw 97 miles per hour during a no-hitter at the age of 40.
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