Right-hander Justin Verlander and the San Francisco Giants agreed to a one-year, $15 million contract, sources told ESPN on Tuesday, continuing the future Hall of Famer’s career at age 42 in one of the most pitcher-friendly ballparks in baseball.

Verlander, entering his 20th major league season, is considered perhaps the best pitcher of his generation, with the most innings pitched, strikeouts and wins among active players. A three-time Cy Young Award winner, Verlander is coming off the worst season of his career and joins a Giants team that is also aiming for better results than 2024. The deal is still pending.

Shoulder and neck injuries limited Verlander to 17 starts, and he posted an 8.10 ERA over his final seven years. With a declining strikeout rate and an increasing home run rate, Verlander was showing signs of aging after a career in which he was seemingly immune to it.

After a dominant 13-year streak with the Detroit Tigers, Verlander found a second life after joining the Houston Astros in 2017. He won the Cy Youngs in 2019 and 2022 – and after the latter signed a two-year, $86.6 million contract with the New York Mets. Verlander spent 16 starts with the Mets before returning to the Astros in August 2023.

For his career, Verlander is 262-147 with a 3.30 ERA over 3,415⅔ innings. He struck out 3,416 batters, walked 952 and won two World Series with the Astros.

A return to Houston was not an option for 2025. With Oracle Park a pitcher’s dream, Verlander leaned toward the Giants, whose rotation includes right-hander Logan Webb, left-handers Robbie Ray and Kyle Harrison, and a number of other options at the fifth spot, with right-hander Hayden Birdsong considered the most likely candidate.

The Giants had spent a month of limited action before signing Verlander. Exactly a month ago to the day, they agreed to a seven-year, $182 million contract with shortstop Willy Adames.

San Francisco, which hired former star catcher Buster Posey as president of baseball operations in September, went 80-82 last season and finished fourth in the National League West, arguably the best division in baseball.