MLB Insider Says Astros Slugger Contender to Land Nine-Figure Contract

The Houston Astros have had some excruciating decisions to make with their roster in recent months because of how much money it would have cost to retain those players.

This past winter alone, the team lost third baseman Alex Bregman in free agency to the Boston Red Sox, who agreed to a three-year, $120 million deal. Not willing to budge from their original offer, the All-Star accepted a deal that paid him a massive AAV and provided the ability to hit free agency again next winter.

Playing at an MVP-level, Bregman is set up to cash in.

The same can be said about right fielder Kyle Tucker, who was traded to the Chicago Cubs in part because the Astros weren’t sure they would be able to pay him the kind of money he was going to demand on the open market.

This upcoming offseason, Houston will have a difficult decision to make with starting pitcher Framber Valdez, who is set to hit free agency and is going to be a contender to land a nine-figure contract.

An established ace with a remarkable postseason track record, the only thing holding Valdez back is his age. He'll be 32 next season.

In two years, another potential nine-figure payment may need to be made to third baseman Isaac Paredes, who has been named a payday contender by MLB insider Jeff Passan of ESPN.

How Much Money Can Astros’ Isaac Paredes Make on His Next Contract?

Acquired as part of the return package from the Cubs in exchange for Tucker, he had the impossible task of replacing a homegrown star in Bregman at the hot corner in 2025 and beyond.

Paredes has responded well, putting together arguably the most productive season of his career to this point with a 145 OPS+ through 52 games and 228 plate appearances.

He has a .276/.377/.490 slash line with 11 home runs, seven doubles and one triple, while knocking in 31 runs. His aggressive pull swing is tailor-made for the Astros’ home field, Daikin Park, with the Crawford Boxes in left field.

An All-Star in 2024 with the Tampa Bay Rays before being traded, Paredes is not only getting the job done with the bat, but showing improvements defensively and with his base running, becoming a more well-rounded player.

If those improvements prove not to be a fluke, he is going to receive a lot of interest as a free agent ahead of his age-29 campaign.

What could complicate things for Houston is that shortstop Jeremy Pena is also set to hit free agency at the same time, creating a situation similar to Bregman and Tucker this past winter.