Ranking the Astros most deserving of a contract extension

The Astros are entering year eight of the Golden Era. With so many key pieces headed for free agency in 2024 and 2025, we may be looking at the window of contention coming to a close.

Since 2017, Owner Jim Crane has let key piece after key piece walk in free agency, trusting in the reinforcements coming from the farm system. With the system now barren, Crane and the front office no longer have this luxury. Houston has to start paying their own players. Let's take a look at some of the impending Astros free agents, and even some promising young talent still with years of control but available for cheaper now than they'll ever be, and rank them in order of most deserving of a contract extension.

Ranking the Astros most deserving of a contract extension

They've got some holes to fill this off-season via free agency, but locking up some of these pieces should be priority number one this off-season.

#1 Jose Altuve

Was there even a question as to who would be #1 on this list? Jose Altuve is the face of the franchise. He's the greatest player in franchise history--period. He's one of the best playoff performers of all-time. Jose Altuve is an Astro for life, no questions asked.

Altuve should pick up his 3,000th hit wearing an Astros uniform. He should have the chance to win a third ring wearing an Astros uniform. Health permitting, he may even get to 300 home runs in an Astros uniform.

He continues to get better with age, and if he plays a full season, with the shorter bases, may again make another push at a 30/30 season. You've got another two-to-three years of borderline MVP caliber production ahead, and then a chance for Altuve to ride off into the sunset as he puts the feather in his cap on a Hall of Fame career.

He simply can't wear another jersey.

#3 Bryan Abreu

Seeing Bryan Abreu this high on a list of deserving extension candidates may be a surprise, but he needs to be in Houston for the long haul. Locking him up now before he gets even more costly would be the wise play.

Abreu is coming off of a dominant season, recording a 1.72 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 12.5 SO9. This was Abreu's second straight season with a sub 2.00 ERA.

His slider and fastball are untouchable, and as Ryan Pressly ages, Abreu is likely the closer of the future. Dating back to his time as a prospect, Houston has viewed him as a potential starter. Either way, arms like this don't grow on trees.

Abreu has been the key cog in what has been a untouchable bullpen over the last two seasons. With so many key pieces hitting free agency, Houston has to ensure Abreu is here for the long haul.

#4 Alex Bregman

Seeing Alex Bregman this low on the list may come as a surprise. It's no fault of his own, but rather, the market. Alex Bregman has been a cornerstone of the Golden Era, and he's one of the top-five third basemen in the MLB.

But is he worth $300 million?

He'll likely command that number, and unless Bregman can tap back into the power stroke he had in 2018 and 2019 (or if the MLB brings back juiced baseballs), he may not be worth that amount.

Alex Bregman absolutely should finish his career as an Astro. If Jim Crane operated as aggressively as John Middleton of the Phillies, it wouldn't be a question. But since Crane pinches pennies, there's no chance of Bregman getting $30 million a year AND any of the above deserving candidates getting their extension.

If Crane wakes up tomorrow and decides to operate entirely differently and spend like the players and fanbase deserve, then yes, lock Alex Bregman up. If you're going to let Kyle Tucker walk the following year, lock him up. But if you do what's right and secure Altuve and Tucker for the future and Crane doesn't undergo a philosophy switch, there likely isn't room for Bregman.

#5 Chas McCormick

The Astros breakout player of 2023, Chas McCormick deserves an extension. The Astros can try to buy out some arbitration years as they did with Yordan Alvarez and Cristian Javier, and pay McCormick above what he'd make in arbitration.

McCormick is headed to arbitration for the first time, coming off of a 3.8 fWAR season in which he hit 22 home runs and stole 19 bases in only 115 games. With Dusty Baker finally gone and Joe Espada on the record that he will "put the best players on the field," Chas is likely going to put up some big numbers in 2024.

McCormick is under team control through 2027. The Astros could buy an extra two years similar to what Brown's Braves have done with so much of their young talent. With the farm system depleted, Houston has to keep their young guns around. Chas should be the first.

#6 Framber Valdez

Who would have imagined Valdez would be this low on the list when the season started? And even more so at the All-Star Break? Valdez finished top-five in the AL Cy Young race in 2022, and followed it up with a dominant postseason.

He was then in line to start the All-Star game for the AL after posting a 2.51 first-half ERA. In the second half, Valdez imploded. He finished with a 4.66 ERA post All-Star Break, and detonated in October.

With the shift limitations hurting Valdez' ground ball dependence, and the pitch clock limiting his ability to step off the mound and reset, have we seen the best of Valdez? If he can be had for under value, by all means, lock him up. But Valdez will likely command big money, and the Astros need ace-level production if they're going to pay him like one.

After his second half struggles, Houston could possibly get Valdez for cheaper than they would have six months ago. But he still finished 9th in the AL Cy Young voting due to his strong first half and durability. His market didn't exactly plummet.

As crazy as it may seem, of the Astros current core pieces, Framber Valdez may be the least deserving of a contract extension.