Former manager: Mets' Justin Verlander easily can pitch into mid-40s

Former manager Jim Leyland spent time working with New York Mets ace Justin Verlander when both were with the Detroit Tigers and believes the righty has plenty left in the tank.

"He’s always kept himself in great shape and he always had those strong legs, like [Tom] Seaver and [Nolan] Ryan," Leyland told MLB insider Jon Heyman of the New York Post. "He’s a dedicated guy and he’s always loved the game. He’s not pitching for the Hall of Fame anymore. He’s a first-ballot shoo-in at this point. He loves the competition."

Some Mets fans understandably questioned the club signing Verlander this offseason to a two-year, $86.7 million deal that includes a vesting third-year option reportedly worth $35 million because the three-time Cy Young Award winner turns 40 years old this coming Monday. Verlander then teased ahead of Christmas he could follow in the footsteps of NFL quarterback Tom Brady and continue playing past his 45th birthday. 

Heyman pointed out that Ryan pitched until he was 46, while Jamie Moyer lasted until he was 49. Verlander touched upon his longevity in the early days of spring training on Wednesday. 

"I think I’m constantly adapting," he explained. "I’m always seeking out new information, with the end goal of that information being to do what I can to carry my career as long as possible and to stay at my peak as long as I possibly can. You’ve seen some guys in the history of our sport and other sports carry it into their mid-40s. I don’t see why not."

Verlander made just one start during the 2020 season before he underwent Tommy John surgery in the fall of that year. He missed the subsequent campaign but returned in a big way in 2022, going 18-4 with a 1.75 ERA and a 0.83 WHIP en route to earning his third Cy Young. 

The soon-to-be birthday boy declined an invitation to pitch in this year's World Baseball Classic, in part to save his arm for the Mets. 

Big-spending Mets owner Steve Cohen vowed in the fall of 2020 he wanted to "win a World Series in the next three to five years." If Verlander helps Cohen achieve that goal, the contract attached to the future Hall of Famer will have been worth every cent even if he retires shortly after he hoists the Commissioner's Trophy while wearing a Mets uniform.