Houston Astros Injured Pitcher is Named Team's Worst Contract

The Houston Astros have a disaster contract on their hands.

Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros have made some phenomenal signings, re-signings, acquisitions, extensions, trades, and everything in between over their long run of American League dominance for the better part of the last decade.

The team has done a good job of striking the balance between when to pay up to retain players and when to let guys walk and still experiencing success without stars who departed Houston. But of all the good the Astros have done with regards to roster building over the years, there's one contract on the books that is an absolute nightmare and looks worse every day.

Prior to the 2021 season, Houston awarded starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. with a five-year, $85 million contract that at the time based on the production he had already put up and his age, seemed like it could end up being a bargain for the team. Instead it has proved to be a complete liability with McCullers Jr. missing all of 2023 and 2024 due to various injuries. He has not pitched since Game 3 of the 2022 World Series, where he gave up five home runs. Tanner Vogt of FanSided named the deal as the worst on the books for Houston in a recent article.

"What once looked like it could be a steal for the Astros has turned into a nightmare, but not by performance," Vogt wrote. "Unfortunately, injuries have taken their toll on McCullers and he has yet to pitch in back-to-back seasons, all while the Astros have paid him over $30 million during that time. Houston is still on the hook for another $35 million over the next two years. While McCullers Jr. could come back, injuries have made this extension one of the worst in the division."

The first season after signing the deal in 2021 was arguably the best of McCullers Jr.'s career, making 28 starts and putting up a 13-5 record with a career low 3.16 ERA and a career high 185 strikeouts. Since then, it's been a disaster and he has made just eight regular season starts.

McCullers Jr. did just turn 31 this month and it's not impossible for him to come back and still be a productive player for Houston or even elsewhere beyond the deal with the Astros. The team is still on the hook for the next two years, and at this point if he ever makes another quality start in Houston it will be a bonus. In theory, he should be healthy again in 2025 and could bounce back, but expectations will not be high for a pitcher who has missed two straight full seasons, and until that point, the contract for McCullers Jr. will continue to look like a mess.