HOUSTON — One year after carrying the largest payroll in club history and paying the luxury tax for the first time in his ownership tenure, Jim Crane said the Houston Astros have the “wherewithal” to spend at a similar pace in 2025, but he tempered some expectations of another record-setting number. Advertisement “It just depends on what players are available,” Crane said after the team unveiled a new stadium naming rights agreement with Daikin on Monday. “It’s pretty evident what needs we have.
We want to try and field the best team we can without going crazy. Some of the payrolls are pretty high for the bigger teams, but I think we were the fifth-highest payroll — that’s the first time we’ve done that. We have the wherewithal to do it if we need to do it.
” Crane carried the sport’s fourth-highest payroll last season, trailing only the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees and New York Mets. Outside approximations have the Astros around $10 million below the first luxury tax threshold at the beginning of a crucial offseason. Franchise cornerstone Alex Bregman is a free agent while other needs on the pitching staff and lineup are apparent.
The team’s “biggest priority” remains retaining Bregman, general manager Dana Brown said earlier this month. There is “nothing to report yet” on the team’s negotiations with Bregman, according to Crane. Brown and Scott Boras, Bregman’s agent, “have been visiting frequently,” Crane said.
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