Justin Verlander is scheduled to pitch for the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, marking a notable matchup given the pitcher's history. Verlander, now 42, expressed interest in joining the Cubs in 2017, but the team ultimately declined to trade for him, citing his contract terms.
The Cubs instead traded prospects Eloy Jimenez and Dylan Cease to the White Sox for Jose Quintana in July 2017. A month later, Verlander went to the Houston Astros in a trade involving lower-ranked prospects. The Astros went on to win the World Series that year.
Verlander achieved significant success after the trade, winning 37 games, recording 590 strikeouts, and posting a 2.55 ERA in 2018 and 2019. He finished second and first, respectively, in Cy Young Award voting during those seasons and won another Cy Young and a World Series title with Houston in 2022.
His start on Tuesday is potentially his fourth and last career appearance at Wrigley Field. Verlander is a future Hall of Famer, with three Cy Young awards, three no-hitters, nine All-Star selections, and an MVP award. He currently has 262 victories and 3,448 strikeouts, ranking 10th all-time.
The current Giants vs Cubs series began Monday, with the Cubs winning the opener 9-2. Matthew Boyd started for the Cubs in that game against Giants right-hander Landen Roupp.
The Cubs have demonstrated a strong offense this season and entered the series with one of baseball's better records. Key players for Chicago include Ian Happ, who leads the team with a .287 batting average, and Pete Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Tucker, who are tied for the team lead with nine home runs each.
San Francisco's offense is led by Jung Hoo Lee, who has a team-best .303 batting average, while Matt Chapman and Wilmer Flores are among the team's power threats.
Verlander has not yet earned a win this season, but he has expressed ambition to continue playing and potentially reach the 300-win mark.
Reflecting on the missed opportunity in 2017, Verlander said it would have been something else to play for the Cubs, noting Wrigley Field as one of his favorite ballparks.
