Dana Brown’s payroll comments suggest big changes could be coming for Astros

This offseason is going to be uniquely difficult for the Houston Astros to navigate. They face the very real prospect of losing Alex Bregman in free agency, as well as key trade deadline acquisition Yusei Kikuchi. Ideally, they'd also like to field an improved roster over the 2024 group while weathering those losses. That is easier said than done, especially with the state of their payroll in 2025.

While the Astros do have some regulars that are somewhat cost-controlled by arbitration, some of them are set to still be quite expensive, with Framber Valdez and Kyle Tucker topping that list. Combine that with the relatively pricey deals handed out to Jose Altuve and Yordan Álvarez and the big chunk of change owed to Jose Abreu, Rafael Montero, and Lance McCullers Jr., and you have a bit of a payroll disaster. Justin Verlander coming off their books helps, but not as much as you would think.

Astros GM Dana Brown indicated as much after Houston was eliminated from the playoffs when he said that the Astros may need to get "creative" when it comes to offseason additions and figuring out how to pay for them.

Astros GM Dana Brown hints that Houston may have to find ways to shed payroll this offseason

The good news here is that Brown is at least keeping the door open for significant moves this offseason. Right now, the Astros' 2025 payroll commitments sit at around $212 million which, given owner Jim Crane's tendency to stay under the luxury tax, gives Houston just $29 million to play with this offseason with some big roster holes to fill.

Brown went on to say that one thing the team is going to look hard at is giving prospects an opportunity in 2025 to nab some of these open spots on the roster. If the Astros think that guys like Brice Matthews, Zach Dezenzo, Jacob Melton, and/or others are ready to contribute on a contender, that could make replacing Bregman and possibly trading away guys like Chas McCormick and Jake Meyers more feasible.

Going a step further, Houston's biggest problem right now is the bad contracts on their ledger. Ridding themselves of Jose Abreu's money is going to be next to impossible, and Montero's contract isn't far behind, but finding a team willing to at least take on a chunk of McCullers Jr.'s $17.7 million the next two seasons might be possible. McCullers Jr.'s injury rehab has had setbacks, but most seem to think that he will be ready to pitch again in 2025, and he has the upside to be attractive to a pitching-starved buyer. Unfortunately, his no-trade clause is certainly a hurdle that would have to be overcome.

If the Astros can find a way to shed some payroll, retaining one of Bregman or Kikuchi becomes a lot more likely. Brown has already expressed a willingness to at least have discussions with both players, which leads one to believe that the possibility isn't zero that a reunion could happen. However, even if the Astros shed McCullers Jr.'s money, it is hard to envision Houston keeping both of them without also parting with a guy like Ryan Pressly.

Strap in, Astros fans, because this could get wild in a hurry.

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