SI

McCullers Jr.'s $85 Million Extension with the Astros Reveals a Trend in MLB

SI's Tom Verducci shares the Astros thought process behind the signing of Lance McCullers Jr. to an $85 million extension.

Tom Verducci

The Astros recently signed pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. to an $85 million extension; this might come as a surprise as McCullers has not yet pitched 130 innings in a season. However, the innings that McCullers pitches are extremely effective for the Astros defense. Sports Illustrated senior writer Tom Verducci shares the Astros thought process behind the signing of Lance McCullers Jr. to an $85 million extension. 

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Tom Verducci
TOM VERDUCCI

Tom Verducci is a senior writer for Sports Illustrated who has covered Major League Baseball since 1981. He also serves as an analyst for FOX Sports and the MLB Network; is a New York Times best-selling author; and cohosts The Book of Joe podcast with Joe Maddon. A five-time Emmy Award winner across three categories (studio analyst, reporter, short form writing) and nominated in a fourth (game analyst), he is a three-time National Sportswriter of the Year winner, two-time National Magazine Award finalist, and a Penn State Distinguished Alumnus Award recipient. Verducci is a member of the National Sports Media Hall of Fame, Baseball Writers Association of America (including past New York chapter chairman) and a Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 1993. He also is the only writer to be a game analyst for World Series telecasts. He lives in New Jersey with his wife, with whom he has two children.

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