I disagree with the valuation here. This looks worse than the Hosmer trade from the end of last season that got vetoed and then undone because it was a new owner. As I mentioned then because it was a new owner that didn't believe he could get any value for Hosmer it was overturned. There is no doubt that if you're going to eat 20M there will be takers.
It isn't the All-star break yet and Verlander has spent too much time on the IL to call him cooked, in a month he could easily be back to form and this trade doesn't value him as such.
We're looking at two unimpressive minor leaguers, only one of which is a low top 30 prospect for one of the worst teams in baseball (
).
Then you throw 20M and a 3rd round pick and that's extreme. Personally I don't think the two of them are enough for Verlander alone let alone the amount of money going back the other way. Even if both sides don't believe he will regain form, fine, but 20M is a huge amount of cap to eat, not to mention the 3rd rounder. In the trade the other day with
the first round pick went for a top 100 prospect+ two fringe guys, a 3rd rounder should be worth at least a high top 30 team prospect or a couple lower top 30 guys.