The Astros overcame a slow start to pull away with another division title. They weren’t able to extend their remarkable streak of seven consecutive trips to the AL Championship Series, as the red-hot Tigers swept them at Minute Maid Park. The attention immediately turns to the potential loss of their longtime third baseman.
Guaranteed Contracts
- Jose Altuve, 2B: $110MM through 2029
- Yordan Alvarez, DH: $93MM through 2028
- Josh Hader, LHP: $76MM through 2028
- Cristian Javier, RHP: $52MM through 2027
- Lance McCullers Jr., RHP: $34MM through 2026
- Ryan Pressly, RHP: $14MM through 2025
- Rafael Montero, RHP (no longer on 40-man roster): $11.5MM through 2025
- Victor Caratini, C: $6MM through 2025
Additional financial commitments
- Owe released first baseman José Abreu $19.5MM through 2025
2025 financial commitments: $142MM
Total future commitments: $416MM
Option Decisions
- RHP Ryan Pressly vested $14MM option by reaching 110 appearances between 2023-24
Arbitration-Eligible Players (projections via Matt Swartz)
- Framber Valdez (5.163): $17.8MM
- Kyle Tucker (5.079): $15.8MM
- José Urquidy (5.049): $3.75MM
- Mauricio Dubón (4.162): $4.6MM
- Luis Garcia (4.083): $1.875MM
- Bryan Abreu (4.022): $3.7MM
- Chas McCormick (4.000): $3.3MM
- Jake Meyers (3.044): $2.2MM
- Jeremy Peña (3.000): $4.4MM
- Penn Murfee (2.169): $800K
Non-tender candidates: Urquidy, McCormick, Murfee
Free Agents
- Alex Bregman, Justin Verlander, Yusei Kikuchi, Caleb Ferguson, Ben Gamel, Héctor Neris, Jason Heyward, Kendall Graveman
The Astros remain firmly in win-now mode but are facing the potential free agent departure of a core player. That’s a situation they’ve successfully navigated before. Houston has allowed Carlos Correa and George Springer to walk without taking a step back. Are they prepared to do the same with Alex Bregman?
That’s the biggest question of Houston’s offseason. General manager Dana Brown has said time and again that he hopes to keep Bregman. Multiple Astros players have gone on record talking about his importance both on the field and in the clubhouse. The financial picture doesn’t point toward a reunion being likely, though.
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