CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Guardians and Tigers already have a good rivalry in the AL Central. On Tuesday, it intensified.

Justin Verlander, who won the AL MVP and Cy Young award for the Tigers in 2011, returned to Motown on Tuesday on a one-year, $13 million deal. The contract includes $11 million in deferred money. Verlander will join Tarik Skubal, Framber Valdez, Jack Flaherty and Casey Mize in Detroit’s rotation. Troy Melton and Reese Olson provide depth.

Last season the front-running Tigers watched the Guardians overcome a 15 1/2-game deficit in July to pass them and win the Central on the last day of the regular season. The Tigers flipped the script by eliminating the Guardians, 2-1, in the three-game wild card series.

The Tigers have spent a lot of money this winter to make sure they own the Central in 2026. Skubal, the two-time Cy Young winner, was awarded a record $32 million salary in arbitration for the upcoming season. Before that verdict was announced, the Tigers signed Valdez to a three-year $115 million deal, which helps explain why Verlander won’t receive the bulk of his contract until 2030.

Detroit’s opening day payroll is expected to be an estimated $244 million.

Verlander, who will turn 34 on Feb. 20, and the Guardians know each other well. Verlander made his big-league debut against Cleveland, losing the second game of a doubleheader on July 4, 2005.

He has made 58 starts against Cleveland, the most against any team in his career. He has more wins (24) and more losses (25) against the Guardians than any other team.

When the Tigers traded Verlander to Houston in 2017, he used the move to start the second phase of his career. He won Cy Young awards in 2019 and 2022, while helping the Astros win World Series titles in 2017 and 2022.

Verlander, a nine-time All-Star, is 266-158 over 20 seasons. His stated goal is to reach 300 wins.

Last season Verlander went 4-11 with a 3.85 ERA in 29 starts for the Giants. It looked like his tank was finally nearing empty, but in his last 13 starts he posted a 2.60 ERA. The Tigers were impressed enough to bring him home and add some heat to a rivalry that was already running hot.