Astros insider reveals how Houston dropped the ball with rising star

The Houston Astros were never going to re-sign Kyle Tucker. While there were whispers of some preliminary negotiations at various times during Tucker's tenure in Houston, Astros owner Jim Crane was never going to fork over the amount of money it was going to take to retain the slugger before he reached free agency, which would've had to be absurd enough to alter his long-held plans.

Tucker is now a member of the Chicago Cubs, and while an extension with the North Siders seems unlikely as well, the former Astros outfielder is at least open to listening to any and all offers. Chandler Rome of The Athletic was quick to point out that this has consistently been Tucker's stance, even during his time with the Astros. Rome's assumption was that unless Houston was willing to enter into a $200-$300 million deal last summer, Tucker was sure to enter free agency next winter.

Astros insider reveals how Houston dropped the ball with rising star

But Rome was kind enough to drop another nugget during a social media correspondence on X (formerly Twitter). The Astros' beat reporter, responding to a fan's question, revealed that there was a desire by both the Astros and starter Hunter Brown to get a contract extension done last spring. Rome believes that any chance of a deal has since evaporated.

That's a swing and miss on the part of the Astros' front office. We'll never know what the potential offer actually looked like, but after Brown's performance in 2024, you can bet that the number went up significantly. Brown appeared in 31 games for the 'Stros last season and posted a 3.59 ERA and 3.58 FIP in 170 innings pitched. Brown struck out 179 batters and became Houston's No. 2 starter behind Framber Valdez. Brown is still pre-arbitration eligible and won't reach free agency until after the 2028 season.

But with Brown now unlikely to agree to a contract extension, the Astros have seemingly dropped the ball once again. Based on Crane's track record, Houston needs to identify these top-tier players sooner in the process and offer them a team-friendly contract before they leave the Astros in the lurch for more money during free agency. Valdez will be next up. Houston has downplayed the idea of trading the left-hander, but if the right offer comes along, don't put it past GM Dana Brown to pull the trigger.

The Astros have made some poor financial decisions of late and it's come back to haunt them. Not inking Brown to an extension last spring might be the latest in a long line of blunders.

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