The Astros missed the postseason for the first time in a decade, and now they enter the offseason in the unfamiliar position of underdogs in the AL West.
Guaranteed contracts
Option decisions
Total liabilities for 2026: $155.85 million
Total future liabilities: $407.35 million
Arbitration-eligible players (service time in brackets; salary projections via MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz)
McCormick, Sanchez
Free agents
The Astros finished the season with an 87–75 record, missing out on the final AL Wild Card spot after losing the season series tiebreaker to the Tigers. As far as seasons that don’t end in a postseason berth go, Houston’s year certainly could have been worse. Still, there is plenty of work to do this winter for GM Dana Brown and the rest of the front office.
The elephant in the room is southpaw’s impending departure Framber Valdez. It’s a safe bet he’ll be pitching elsewhere on Opening Day, as Houston has rarely made a full-fledged effort to retain their free agents over the years. Alex Bregman walked out in free agency last winter, and Kyle Tucker was traded before his senior year under team control so he wouldn’t do the same. Gerrit Kool previously left for New York after hitting free agency after the 2019 season. Justin Verlander And Carlos Correa both signed elsewhere on two separate occasions, although both returned in return for trades after their respective departures.
Jose Altuve is the only one of the club’s stars they have consistently managed to keep in town, and Brown’s comments haven’t given much reason to expect Valdez’s free agency to reverse that trend. Brown said he expected that “some conversations” with Valdez’s camp, but otherwise largely focused on the rise of Hunter Brown as a legitimate ace and the club’s other internal options when asked about the possibility of a reunion. Valdez will certainly be well outside the club’s typical comfort zone, even as he looks to promote his age-32 season through free agency marketing, and Brown has suggested the club could look to the trade market in efforts to strengthen the rotation.
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