Astros Fleecing Tigers in Justin Verlander Trade Was a Crime and Never Should Have Been Allowed

In 2017, the Houston Astros acquired Justin Verlander from the Detroit Tigers in a trade that will go down as one of the most astounding muggings in Major League Baseball history. At the time, Verlander was a six-time All-Star and one-time Cy Young Award winner. In return, the Tigers received three prospects: Franklin Perez, Jake Rogers, and Daz Cameron.

It was disgusting.

Houston secured the trade with literal seconds to spare before the waiver trade deadline at the end of August, and certainly made the most out of the situation -- they used their new star pitcher to go on and win a World Series. Verlander was named ALCS MVP that year, and he rounded out a dominant team perfectly. The Tigers' new prospects haven't had nearly that much success, to say the very least.

Franklin Perez hasn't played a game in the big leagues. Cameron finally got to participate in Spring Training this season. Rogers figures to be their catcher of the future, and with 35 MLB games under his belt, he's shaping up to be a decent backstop. However, the price was just too great, and shifted the balance of power across baseball.

The Tigers clearly wanted to rebuild and work their way up with young players and a fresh start, but Verlander is a generational talent. The trio they got for their best pitcher in franchise history just hasn't performed at a level to justify parting with that kind of productivity. Even if all of them end up as everyday players, the narrative won't change one bit.

Detroit gave up a future Hall of Famer for a group of question marks that just haven't panned out well enough. The Astros got a stud that helped them win a World Series. Why did no one stop the Tigers?

No wonder the August waiver trade period was abolished.