Because the league suspended luxurious tax funds for the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, 2024 technically marked the primary time that the Astros exceeded the Aggressive Stability Tax threshold. Houston’s team-record $244MM payroll got here with an approximate tax variety of $262MM, thus placing the Astros over the second tier ($257MM) of tax penalties. The elevated price ticket may very well be seen as the price of conserving collectively a perpetual contender, and certain sufficient, the Astros once more gained the AL West in 2024 earlier than being upset by the Tigers within the wild card spherical.
The Astros now enter the offseason with some huge cash nonetheless on the books. RosterResource’s projections have Houston at roughly a $215MM payroll and a $233.7MM tax quantity for 2025, placing the Astros just below the $241MM CBT threshold. A couple of million may very well be shaved off through non-tenders, but a much bigger transfer like re-signing Alex Bregman might alone convey Houston fairly near its 2024 figures, even earlier than the Astros addressed different roster wants.
Proprietor Jim Crane at the least left the door open to spending on the similar stage and paying one other tax invoice, telling The Athletic’s Chandler Rome and different reporters that “Now we have the wherewithal to do it if we have to do it.” Nevertheless, Crane added caveats by noting “it simply is determined by what gamers can be found. It’s fairly evident what wants we’ve. We need to attempt to discipline the very best crew we will with out going loopy….We run it like a enterprise and we make good selections.”
Even these measured feedback may convey a little bit aid to Astros followers nervous about how aggressive the crew plans to be this winter. GM Dana Brown mentioned final month that “we might need to get a little bit bit artistic” within the roster plans, and it must be famous that Crane’s remarks don’t contradict Brown’s assertion in any means — naturally, each crew needs to be as environment friendly as attainable in its spending.
Crane talked about that “we’ve some cash coming off the payroll subsequent 12 months,” which might present a touch to Houston’s longer-term plans. Kyle Tucker, Framber Valdez, Ryan Pressly, and Victor Caratini are all slated to hit free company subsequent offseason, and the Astros will even be freed from the dead-money commitments nonetheless owed to Jose Abreu and Rafael Montero. Whereas retaining Tucker or Valdez is actually on Houston’s radar, the Astros might conceivably be keen to re-sign Bregman or make one other splashy transfer or two this offseason and take the one-year CBT hit with a watch in direction of maybe resetting its tax standing subsequent winter as soon as they get extra wage aid.
Talking of Bregman, Crane reiterated the crew’s want to retain the longtime third baseman. The crew’s technique is to let Brown deal with the talks with Bregman’s agent Scott Boras, although Crane famous that he personally spoke with Boras “as soon as early” within the offseason. Crane acknowledged that the Astros had been additionally potential Plan B choices if Bregman did signal elsewhere, although that’s frequent due diligence for any entrance workplace.
