Justin Verlander returns to Detroit Tigers; Alex Avila breaks down reunion from all angles

About this episode

The episode discusses Justin Verlander's return to the Detroit Tigers and features insights from former catcher Alex Avila.

Pitchers and catchers reported, position players participated in the first full-squad workout — and now, the Detroit Tigers are counting down the days to the first Grapefruit League game of spring training. The Tigers marked the start of camp by making their most popular move of the 2025-26 offseason, signing franchise icon Justin Verlander to a one-year, $13 million contract — after losing Reese Olson for the entire 2026 season to a shoulder surgery. On "Days of Roar," Evan Petzold and Chris Brown react to the signing of Verlander and the injury to Olson. They also share the biggest takeaways from the first week of spring training, updates on Tarik Skubal, Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson and break down the latest surrounding top prospect Kevin McGonigle. Former Tigers catcher Alex Avila joins the show for an extended conversation about Verlander's return to the Tigers, offering insight into what the reunion means on and off the field. He reflects on Verlander's evolution as a pitcher and a person, while detailing his expectations for the Tigers' star-studded rotation. To close, Evan and Chris discuss what they'll be watching as spring training games get underway…

People in this episode

Hosts: Evan Petzold, Chris Brown

Guest: Alex Avila

Topics covered

• Justin Verlander
• Detroit Tigers
• spring training
• baseball
• player injuries
• team updates

Keywords

• Justin Verlander
• Detroit Tigers
• spring training
• Reese Olson
• Alex Avila
• baseball news
• player updates

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Detroit Tigers, Detroit Free Press

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