The MLBPA announced that Justin Verlander, Mychal Givens, Tommy Pham and Jordan Lyles resolved option decisions in their contracts and are now free agents.
Verlander opted out of the last year of his deal with the Houston Astros, which was due to pay him $25 million in 2023. The 39-year-old righty had one of the best seasons of his career in 2022, posting a 1.75 ERA and a 0.83 WHIP and striking out 185 batters in 175 innings over 28 starts for the world-champion Astros. His strong campaign made him a finalist for the Cy Young Award, which will be announced Wednesday.