Verlander -- not Zimmermann -- named Tigers' Opening Day starter
The Detroit Tigers signed free-agent right-hander Jordan Zimmermann to a $110 million contract this offseason, but this is still Justin Verlander's pitching staff.
On Tuesday, manager Brad Ausmus named Verlander his Opening Day starter.
Verlander, of course, has been a mainstay in Detroit, playing his entire 11-year career the Motor City. He has seen his performance slip some, though, and is no longer the lights-out ace that he once was.
After a miserable 2014 season in which he owned a 4.54 ERA, Verlander started just 20 games in 2015, pitching to a 5-8 record and 3.38 ERA. He did, however, have a dominant month of August (five starts, six earned runs in 36 innings).
Zimmerman comes to the Tigers after spending the first seven seasons of his career with the Washington Nationals. Last season, he posted a 13-10 record with a 3.66 ERA in 33 starts.
