The Houston Astros are heading into a challenging offseason, with potential major changes on the horizon, whether the team desires them or not. General Manager Dana Brown spoke to the media on Thursday, a day after the Astros were knocked out of the playoffs by the Detroit Tigers with a 5-2 loss in Game 2 of the AL wild-card series. Brown hinted that the team may need to reduce payroll for 2025, which could result in some tough decisions for the organization.
“We’re going to need to make smart choices, like deciding whether younger players can be called up to fill certain roles and potentially save money, allowing us to allocate funds elsewhere,” Astros GM Dana Brown said, according to Matt Kawhara of the *Houston Chronicle*. “We might have to get creative.”
The Astros’ payroll for 2024 exceeded $230 million, with players like outfielder Kyle Tucker and pitcher Framber Valdez becoming more expensive due to arbitration. However, over $50 million will be freed up with Alex Bregman and Justin Verlander becoming free agents.
The key issue is how this impacts Bregman, who will likely seek a substantial contract. While the Astros want to keep him, it’s uncertain if they can manage that alongside their payroll constraints. Bregman himself may have hinted at the uncertainty on Wednesday.
The Astros have reached the playoffs in each of the past eight seasons, but this is the first time since 2016 that they won’t be playing in the ALCS.
