With his parents and a number of teammates watching, Cristian Javier was understandably beaming while discussing his new $64 million contract extension through 2027 with the Houston Astros.
The ultra-talented right-hander discussed his new deal Thursday at the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches.
“First and foremost, I want to thank God for giving me this opportunity and my family for supporting me the whole time, my teammates supporting me every single day, all the way from summer league to the Majors,” Javier told reporters. “They’ve always given me advice and always helped and supported me, and made it possible for me to be able to get here.”
Javier went 11-9 with a 2.54 ERA in 30 games with 25 starts in the regular season. Javier then tossed six no-hit innings in what became a combined no-hitter in Game 4 of the World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Not bad for a player who was signed for a $10,000 bonus during the international signing period in 2015 out of the Dominican Republic.
“It’s been a path with a lot of difficult challenges,” Javier said. “I signed for $10,000, and by that I meant at the Minor Leagues, I just didn’t have the resources a lot of other guys might have. That’s why I want to thank my teammates. We all lived together, all got a place together. That’s how we survived. We worked together and thankful we’re here now.”
Even though the Astros lost Justin Verlander to free agency, Javier will remain with a strong starting rotation with the likes of Framber Valdez and Lance McCullers, Jr.
“I don’t think there’s any need for me to feel pressure after (signing) this contract,” Javier said. “I’m going to keep doing the things that got me here, continue to listen to my teammates, listen to my catcher, Martín Maldonado, and listen to the advice of the veteran guys.”
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