Like a thief in the night, Justin Verlander is now just a memory in Motown. While many detroit tigers fans think this move "had to be done" or "was just a matter of time," blaming it on Verlander's high paid contract and the team's poor performance in 2017, many others like myself believe that this trade is by far the worst deal made since the Ilitch family purchased the team back in 1992, and money is the least reason why.

Face of the franchise

Some players bring more than just their ability to play the game. Personality, charm and the ability to represent a franchise are incredibly huge not just to the team, but the city he or she represents.

Justin Verlander did just that.

JV isn't just a superstar baseball player, he is (was) the Tigers' and the city of Detroit's representative on the big stage when it came to talking sports. More importantly, even in the down years, Verlander put people in the seats. Every game he took the mound was a possible no-hitter, which always brought extra fans down to the ball park.

Tram, Whitaker, Isiah, Yzerman and JV

While it will surely take Tigers fans months, if not a full baseball season or two, to digest that the best pitcher they have had over the last 11 seasons was traded in the middle of the night on August 31, the sad truth is the game goes on.

For fans of the 1990's hit show "Seinfeld," it will seem like the episode "Bizzaro Jerry" when Verlander returns to Comerica Park for the first time.

How do you not cheer for the guy?

Yes, money aside, Verlander should have been a Tiger for life, period. Just like former Tigers Alan Trammell and Lou Whitaker, Red Wings star Steve Yzerman and Pistons Isiah Thomas before him, JV should have retired in the Motor City. Some players you just can't picture suiting up for another squad, and Verlander was one of them.

A slam dunk future Hall of Famer, Verlander won 183 games in the "Old English D" and is possibly just two or three seasons away from reaching 3,000 strikeouts. Watching Verlander hit milestone after milestone in a Houston Astros uniform over the next few seasons will just be another thorn in the side for Tigers' fans.

Somethings are just more important than money, and in this case keeping Verlander was one of them.

Remember folks, MLB is the only sport that has no salary cap, so that excuse doesn't fly in baseball.

One thing you can be sure of is if the Astros make it to the World Series, a lot of Tigers fans will be cheering for Justin Verlander to pick up a World Series ring. I know I will. In case you are wondering, Detroit will receive right-hander Franklin Perez (No. 3 Astros prospect, per MLBPipeline.com), outfielder Daz Cameron (No. 9) and catcher Jake Rogers (No. 11) in return.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED