Justin Verlander didn’t waste much time easing into retirement. After his final major league pitch, he showed up on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, and then on Tuesday night he was right back in the spotlight, working the FOX Sports desk with Alex Rodriguez, David Ortiz and Derek Jeter for Game 3 of the Dodgers-Braves NLDS.
And he handled it well. Verlander offered solid breakdowns before and after the game, then added a little needle toward the other legends at the table for good measure.
The night’s best moment came when FOX checked in with Freddie Freeman after the Dodgers’ 3-1 win. Verlander reached out to Freeman through his headset, and Freeman stopped mid-answer to greet him.
"Hold on, J. Congratulations, that was so awesome to watch in that final start.
Congratulations on a Hall of Fame career. Miss you, and congrats."
Maybe there was a little emotion in Verlander’s voice there. The longtime Tigers ace may have traded the mound for the desk, but he clearly wasn’t fully detached yet.
Freeman, who has a reputation as one of the most personable players in the sport and has often been known to get emotional himself, seemed genuinely caught off guard by the interaction.
Freddie Freeman wasn't expecting to hear @JustinVerlander ask him a question tonight on our show after the @Dodgers win 😅 pic.twitter.com/GnsQ9NkCuO
- FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 7, 2026
Verlander stuck around for coverage of the Brewers-Padres series as well, and San Diego’s win kept its playoff hopes alive for at least one more day. That’s also where Manny Machado delivered the line that probably summed up the whole scene for Tigers fans: " Hey, didn't you just retire, man? You gotta enjoy it a little bit, come on."
Freeman and Verlander are separated by six years, but they’ve spent plenty of time in the same baseball orbit. They’ve each made five All-Star teams, have battled against each other over the years, and both look destined for Cooperstown.
This was Verlander’s first real step into broadcasting, and he did it on a stage loaded with future Hall of Famers, including Joey Votto and Clayton Kershaw. Tigers fans will be watching to see how the new gig develops, even if Machado would prefer Verlander take a little more time off first. For now, though, it’s clear he’s not disappearing from the game anytime soon.
In Other News...
Tigers Next Wave Of Prospects Is Getting A Telling Fall Test
The Tigers are sending several of their top young players to the Arizona Fall League, giving the next wave of prospects another chance to keep moving after their seasons ended. Zhyir Hope, Bryce Rainer and John Peck are among the names headed there, a sign that Detroit is using the offseason to keep its developmental pipeline active and to give these players a more demanding stage against quality competition.
For an organization with clear eyes on what comes next, the Fall League is less about ceremony than progress. The Tigers have seen encouraging recent minor league work from this group, and the challenge now is translating that momentum into another round of growth. It is the kind of assignment that can quietly shape a future roster, even if the biggest payoff is still out ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Tigers Young Core Faces One Defining Question After 2026 Rollercoaster
The 2026 season left the Tigers in a familiar but frustrating spot, with stretches of promise followed by the kind of inconsistency that kept them from ever getting back to .500 after early May. Injuries to Gleyber Torres and Riley Greene were a major part of the story, and as the roster thinned out, Detroit leaned harder on its younger prospects just to keep the season moving.
That late push from the kids may end up mattering more than the final record. The Tigers are expected to keep building around that group in 2027, even as the front office looks at possible replacements for departing veterans, and the bigger question now is how much of this roster is ready to turn a lost opportunity into the next step forward. [Read more 🡒]
Casey Mize Could Be Headed Toward An Interesting Next Stop
Casey Mizes next move could end up being less about splash and more about fit. After mixed results with the Tigers and a rough stint with the Padres, the free-agent right-hander is drawing attention as a pitcher who may be willing to take a shorter-term chance to reset his market and prove he still has value.
Bleacher Reports Zachary D. Rymer pointed to the San Francisco Giants as a potential destination, a sensible connection for a team that could be looking at a rotation overhaul after a difficult 2026 season. For a pitcher like Mize, a modest deal with some flexibility makes sense, and San Francisco has the kind of opening that could turn into an interesting next stop if the two sides line up. [Read more 🡒]