HOUSTON – Coming off a season in which the Astros had the fifth-highest payroll in baseball and exceeded the Competitive Balance Tax for the first time, owner Jim Crane said Monday he would be "comfortable enough" to spend similarly on his team in 2025. That could bode well for the club's pursuit of free agent third baseman Alex Bregman, who remains the Astros' top offseason priority. Crane, speaking after the club announced Minute Maid Park would be rebranded as Daikin Park in 2025, said Astros general manager Dana Brown has been visiting frequently with Scott Boras, the agent for Bregman, but there was nothing else to report. "We want to try to field the best team we can without going crazy," Crane said. "Some of the payrolls are pretty high for the biggest teams, but I think we were the fifth-highest payroll. That's the first time we've done that. We have the wherewithal to do that if we need to do it." The Astros began last season with a club-record $236.5 million payroll and have about $115.9 million committed to seven players next year, according to Cot's Contracts. That doesn't include the $19.5 million they owe first baseman José Abreu or the $11.5 million they owe reliever Rafael Montero, both of whom were designated for assignment last season. Bregman, one of the top free agents on the market this winter, isn't expected to make a decision any time soon. The Astros aren't in position to wait indefinitely for a response, though, considering the club's needs at other positions, such as first base, relief pitching and starting pitching. |
"We know Scott," Crane said. "He's going to do the best he can to get the most for [Bregman] if it's a place he wants to go. … At some point, we would have to make a decision. We're looking now at a backup [options]. You're exploring all the options, so that's what's happening now." Among the infielders the Astros have expressed interest in is Jorge Polanco, according to a source. A switch-hitter who hit for a career-low .651 OPS in 118 games with the Mariners in 2024, he posted a .724 OPS and hit 11 of his 16 homers in 63 games after July 9 and is coming off knee surgery. MLB Network's Jon Morosi reported the Astros are interested in free agent Willy Adames, but he's played mostly shortstop in the big leagues. Houston's needs are on the corners. Crane isn't a believer in signing free agents to lengthy deals. He's never guaranteed more than five years to a free agent, and the biggest deal he's given to any player is the $151 million that second baseman Jose Altuve received with his extension in 2018. The baseline for a Bregman deal may be the six-year, $151 million extension third baseman Matt Chapman -- also a Boras client -- received from the Giants in September. "You have to be cognizant of that because the longer the contracts on the back end, it gets difficult to carry it and you decrease your ability to be competitive when you've got a lot of money tied up," Crane said. "We have some money coming off the payroll next year, as you well know. We run it like a business, and we make good decisions." Crane admitted that after the season ended, seeing Altuve plead with the club to re-sign Bregman caught his attention. "We love Altuve. I love Altuve," he said. "We told him we were going to make a strong effort to get it done and that we'd do our best. It carries some weight with me, and it carries some weight with Dana. He's been our best player on our team for a long time, and hopefully he'll continue that. We got him here until, hopefully, he gets into the Hall of Fame." |
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The Hall of Fame ballot was released Monday, and former Astros closer Billy Wagner, in his 10th and final year on the ballot, is the likeliest returning player to qualify for the Hall of Fame. He fell just shy last year, receiving 73.8 percent of the vote. The left-handed fireballer, who saved 422 games during his career and recorded a 2.31 ERA over 903 innings, would be the ninth relief pitcher in the Hall. Last week, Wagner told MLB.com's Bill Ladson he has no regrets about walking away from the game at 38 years old in 2010, coming off a season in which he had 37 saves and a 1.43 ERA with the Braves. "There is no doubt I could have played some more years," he said. "With my background, it was more important to create something stable for my kids." |
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• Colleague Mark Feinsand has a great piece analyzing where Bregman may land in free agency, breaking down potential suitors, an executive's take and why buyers may want to beware. • Minute Maid Park will become Daikin Park in January, leaving some to wonder what might happen to the giant oranges that are pulled by the locomotive above left field. The Astros have already thought about it but aren't ready to reveal their answer just yet. • Today is the deadline for teams to set their 40-man rosters. Any player who is eligible for the Rule 5 Draft and not added to his organization's roster by 5 p.m. CT will be available to be selected by another organization. The Draft will take place Dec. 11 at the Winter Meetings in Dallas. |
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