The Detroit Tigers have officially agreed to keep Justin Verlander around for five  more seasons under an $80 million contract, avoiding the arbitration experience.

The staff ace could have attempted to stay healthy for the next two seasons and gone on to earn nine figures, but knew that the Motor City is where he wants to play baseball. Plus, he probably didn’t want to be dealt or lost to free agency after the 2012 season.

The 2006 American League Rookie of the Year tied for the major league lead with 19 wins last season, leading the big leagues with 269 strikeouts, 240 innings pitched and 35 starts. He also boasted a career-best 3.45 ERA.

Verlander has another lofty dream, as well:

“I have one goal, and that’s to make it to the Hall of Fame,” he said. “If you get there, you’ve done some things right.”

Not to rain on Verlander’s parade, but you have to do a lot more than “some things right” to get into the Hall of Fame. Those BBWAA writers are some down-right choosy bastards. Maybe his former teammate Kenny Rogers put that idea in his head when he went on and on about the righty, comparing his ”wicked fastball, wildly-breaking curve and knee-buckling changeup” to that of the legendary Nolan Ryan’s.

So what do you think? Is Justin Verlander a Hall of Fame pitcher?