These Are the Four Best Houston Astros Contracts on Next Season's Payroll

The Houston Astros still have a roster capable of being a dynasty.

Sep 21, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez (44) celebrates with teammates in the dug-out after hitting a home run against the Los Angeles Angels in the seventh inning at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros faced adversity in 2024 they are no longer accustomed to.

They began the season playing some of the worst baseball that's been seen from the club in almost a decade, but they turned it around to win another AL West title before being knocked out of the playoffs in the Wild Card round for the first time in their dynastic run.

The Astros are still a force to be reckoned with, though, especially in the massively top-heavy division.

These four contracts on their 2025 payroll are big reasons why.

SP Ronel Blanco

Pre-Arb, League Minimum

Starting pitcher Ronel Blanco had a breakout season in 2024, including a no-hitter on April 1, his first start of the year and only the eighth of his career.

He would go on to post a 2.80 ERA across 167 1/3 innings with 166 strikeouts and a 141 ERA+ in 30 games and 29 starts, and he is not the club's ace.

It was the first time in his Major League career he pitched in more than 17 games in a season, and the consistent playing time could have been a huge reason for his success.

With a 4.15 FIP on the year, a regression could be coming in 2025, but no one can deny the talent is there. Houston is also one of the best teams in baseball at extracting that talent from pitchers, so he could only get get better going forward.

SP Spencer Arrighetti

Pre-Arb, League Minimum

Spencer Arrighetti made his Major League debut in 2024, mostly out of necessity with the Astros' pitching staff being decimated by injuries.

While he would not light the world on fire, the young righty did earn himself respect with what he was able to accomplish on the mound.

Arrighetti finished the year with a 4.53 ERA across 145 innings, but the flashes of greatness were there on multiple occasions, including an Aug. 28 start against the Philadelphia Phillies that saw the righty pitch a scoreless 7 2/3 innings with 11 strikeouts and only two hits.

Command has been the major issue for Arrighetti thus far with 65 walks in 2024, but even Blake Snell has control issues, and he has won two Cy Young Awards.

RF Kyle Tucker

Arbitration Projection of $16.7 Million

Had it not been for Tommy John surgery keeping Cristian Javier on the shelf through most, if not all of 2025, this spot would belong to the pitcher.

Instead, Kyle Tucker gets this spot.

And let there be no misunderstanding here, Tucker is more than deserving of being on this list with what he has done throughout his career.

In seven Major League seasons, he has batted .274/.353/.516 with 125 home runs, 417 RBI, and a 139 OPS+ across 2,561 plate appearances in 633 games.

When Tucker is on the field, he is one of the best players in the sport on both sides of the ball, and now that he is in his last year of arbitration, Houston needs to do everything in their power to come to an agreement on an extension with the star.

DH Yordan Alvarez

Four years, $96.3 Million

Let's be honest here, no matter what contract Yordan Alvarez held, it would still be vastly team-friendly and one of the best deals in MLB.

The slugger has proven time and time again he is without a doubt one of the best hitters in the sport with a career OPS+ of 166 since debuting in 2019. His OPS of .973 also ranks second only to Aaron Judge (1.030) among qualified batters.

Alvarez has tallied 30 or more home runs in each of the last four years and has done so while walking at a high rate (11.6%), and striking out at a rate well below league average (19.1%).

Nagging injuries have held the slugger out of games at times, but he has still played in 114 or more games over the last four seasons, and 135 or more in three of those four.

Alvarez's production goes highly unrecognized when he is consistently on the same level with guys like Judge, Shohei Ohtani, and Juan Soto.

All figures accurate as of Dec. 2