Detroit — It all started with a text from Justin Verlander to Christopher Ilitch.
“Do you got a minute to talk?”
That led to a phone conversation between the two — and eventually, a confab between Ilitch, the Tigers president and CEO, and Scott Harris, the Tigers president of baseball operations. And within weeks, one of the greatest Tigers was a Tiger again, nearly a decade after Detroit traded Verlander away to Houston at the onset of a long rebuild.
Detroit pitcher Justin Verlander is introduced before the start of a game between the Detroit Tigers and the St. Louis Cardinals, at Comerica Park, in Detroit, April 3, 2026.
“He never left the Tigers family. He’s like one of us, he is one of us,” Ilitch said during Friday’s 4-0 home-opening win over the St. Louis Cardinals, while making an inning-long cameo on the Detroit SportsNet broadcast. “He loves this team, he loves this city, he loves these fans.
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“He loves Tiger fans. He talks about them all the time.”
Tigers fans feel the same way, as judged by the roaring ovation Verlander had during pregame player introductions. The award for the loudest ovation might’ve gone to the guy to Verlander’s right, Tarik Skubal (another free-agent decision looming over Ilitch, and a much bigger one), but it was darn close.
Verlander, 43, pitched for the Tigers from 2005-17, winning a Cy Young and Most Valuable Player award, throwing two no-hitters, and leading the franchise to a pair of World Series appearances.
In August 2017, he was traded to the Astros by then-general manager Al Avila.
From left, Tigers owner Chris Ilitch, pitcher Tarik Skubal and president Scott Harris talk in the bullpen during the full squad workout at Tigers spring training in Lakeland, Fla. on Feb. 20, 2026.
When Ilitch fired Avila in August 2022, Ilitch was asked about trades that didn’t pan out in the return, most notably Verlander and J.D. Martinez. Avila responded, “I didn’t trade those players away, right? Our general manager did.”
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Verlander went on to win two World Series and two more Cy Youngs with the Astros. He also pitched for the New York Mets and, last year, the San Francisco Giants, before returning to Detroit on a one-year, $13-million contract in February, just before the start of spring training.
For years, Verlander’s brother, Ben, a popular baseball pundit and podcaster (who was in attendance in the stands Friday, and was laughing and smiling with Justin in the bowels of Comerica Park afterward), has called for a reunion.
That reunion is here. Verlander made his Tigers reboot last Monday, and was roughed up by the Arizona Diamondbacks. He makes his return to the Comerica Park mound Sunday night, on national TV, no less. Sunday’s start will be Verlander’s first in Detroit as a Tiger since Aug. 20, 2017 — back with the team that drafted him second overall in 2004, and back with the team where he long chased a World Series championship ring for Chris Ilitch’s late father, Mike, but never did win one. At least, not yet.
“I’m glad it all worked out,” Ilitch said on the Detroit SportsNet broadcast, as another of Ilitch’s big offseason signings, Framber Valdez (three years, $115 million), was working on a gem Friday. “I’m excited for JV, I’m excited for our team, and I’m excited for our fans, because they’re having a lot of fun with it.
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“Hats off to him. He’s a great Tiger. Very excited and proud to have him back. And I hope he has a great year.”
Before joining Jason Benetti and Andy Dirks in the Tigers’ TV booth, Ilitch said he was watching the game from the stands near the Tigers’ dugout. That made him one of the 45,008 in the sell-out crowd.
Ilitch’s Tigers are carrying a payroll of just less than $240 million, the largest in franchise history.
Verlander was a late add to that number — and it all started with a text.
tpaul@detroitnews.com
@tonypaul1984
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Detroit Tigers owner Chris Ilitch on the return of Justin Verlander