There is a lot of discussion about the Houston Astros' lack of moves this offseason after being eliminated before getting to the World Series to defend their title.
It became that much worse when it was their rival Texas Rangers who eliminated them and became the champs.
To get to the point of competing with the Astros, the Rangers spent tons of money to overhaul their roster, and while many of those moves have worked, one of the most high-profile contracts handed out to star pitcher, Jacob deGrom, could turn into a disaster.
"He couldn't stay healthy in 2021 or 2022 and was already 34 years old when the Rangers shockingly signed him to a five-year, $185 million deal last winter. And to the surprise of no one, he lasted just six starts with Texas before undergoing Tommy John surgery, which may well keep him out for all of 2024," Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report writes.
Yikes.
That is a lot of money for only six starts over a two year span.
They're on the hook for multiple large contracts during this championship window they've spent to be in, and not having one of the premier pitchers in the game hurts their chances of winning multiple.
They were able to become World Series winners without deGrom last season, but Texas was forced to move multiple future pieces at the deadline to ensure their roster was still strong down the stretch.
Of course, Houston doesn't mind this at all.
With their rivals having a nightmarish contract on the books and trading away prospects of the future, the chances the Astros continue to dominate this division for years to come is that much greater.
Dana Brown was brought in to ensure this won't happen to their franchise as he attempts to rebuild their own depleted farm system.
So, while there is a lot of frustration about what Houston hasn't done in free agency this offseason, at least they haven't handed out something that might go down as a terrible contract.
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