Justin Verlander intends to pitch beyond 2024 and into 2026, hopeful to extend his Hall of Fame arc as a Giants veteran who recently turned 43 in February. He won’t rehab through surgery if trouble strikes again, noting health has trended upward after last year’s nerve injury and that his stuff remains sharp. With 3,503 career strikeouts and counting, he sits just seven behind Walter Johnson for a historic milestone, a testament to his longevity in a generation with Scherzer and Kershaw still going. A one-year deal is plausible this winter, and the trailblazing righty keeps the dream alive of another high-level season.

Beyond Verlander, the piece ladders through fresh MLB headlines: Nic Enright’s milestone in Cleveland, Steven Kwan’s quirks upsetting umpires, Ernie Clement’s breakout, Betts’ blunt season-cut, Jansen’s retirement roadmap, and the Yankees’ eye‑opening payroll play to keep veterans off the field. It all frames a winter market where Verlander’s veteran-pitcher path and a renewed Giants rotation could shape fantasy value for 2026.