DETROIT, Mich – The Detroit Tigers today announced the club has agreed to terms with right-handed pitcher Justin Verlander on a five-year contract extension through the 2019 season with a vesting option for the 2020 season. Verlander’s deal, which would make him the highest-paid pitcher in the game, is for seven years and worth $180 million. A vesting option for an eighth year could push the deal to $202 million.
“Justin is one of the premier pitchers in baseball and we are thrilled to keep him in a Tigers uniform for many years to come,” Tigers President, Chief Executive Officer and General Manager David Dombrowski said.
Verlander led the American League in strikeouts in each of the last two seasons, fanning 250 batters in 2011 and 239 batters during the 2012 season. Verlander is the first Tigers pitcher to lead the league in strikeouts in back-to-back seasons since Jim Bunning did so in 1959 and 1960.
