Justin Verlander Sent Back to Astros at MLB Trade Deadline, Twitter Has Jokes

The Houston Astros have traded for Justin Verlander...again.

The 40-year-old right-handed starting pitcher is reportedly heading back to the organization that previously traded for him at the 2017 MLB trade deadline.

According to multiple reports, the Astros are sending their No. 1 and No. 4 prospects, Drew Gilbert and Ryan Clifford, to the New York Mets in exchange for Verlander. From 2017-22 with Houston, Verlander won two American League Cy Young Awards and helped lead the Astros to a pair of World Series titles. Verlander left the Astros and signed a two-year, $86.7 million deal with the Mets last offseason. The Mets spent nearly $500 million in free agency while looking to improve a 2022 team that won 101 games. But after a disappointing start to the season, the Mets are just 50-55, New York is selling off assets before the trade deadline at 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday.

Verlander is returning to Minute Maid Park less than a year after he left it, and Twitter has plenty of jokes on the subject.

Fox Sports' MLB account made a "Say Anything" parody.

Cut4 offered a not-so-exclusive look at Verlander in an Astros uniform.

One Twitter user was more focused on Kate Upton moving back to Houston than her husband, Verlander.

This Astros fan account poked fun at Gerrit Cole and the New York Yankees.

This Twitter user sees bright things in Houston's future with Verlander back.

A Houston sports fan hopes history repeats itself.

This baseball content creator references The Dark Knight "when the Joker snapped that pool stick in half and made those two dudes fight to the death."

The Mets are paying roughly $35 million of Verlander's deal over the next two years, then $17.5 million if his contract option triggers in 2025, per multiple reports. Verlander reportedly waived his no-trade clause for a reunion with the Astros. When the Astros traded for Verlander in 2017, they sent three of their top 11 prospects to the Detroit Tigers.

Verlander recorded his 250th MLB win on Sunday with the Mets. Sixty-one of those came with the Astros, and now it appears he will add to that total.

In his brief stint with the Mets, Verlander threw 94.1 innings and compiled a 3.15 ERA.

The Astros are acquiring reinforcements at the deadline while in the middle of a heated divisional race. Houston trails the Texas Rangers by half a game in the AL West as of Tuesday afternoon. The Rangers also recently traded for a three-time Cy Young winner from the Mets (Max Scherzer).

The Astros, 60-47 this season, are currently in the second AL Wild Card position.

The Verlander trade is one of many last-minute deals being made around the league as the deadline looms. In other moves, the Tigers sent All-Star right-hander Michael Lorenzen to the Philadelphia Phillies, while the Marlins acquired 27-year-old slugger Jake Burger from the Chicago White Sox.