Houston Astros reached 2025 salary agreements with all eight of their arbitration-eligible players, a group including ace Framber Valdez, prior to Thursday’s deadline.
Houston also agreed to terms with third baseman Isaac Paredes, shortstop Jeremy Peña, outfielders Chas McCormick and Jake Meyers, utilityman Mauricio Dubón and pitchers Bryan Abreu and Luis Garcia.
Thursday brought a deadline for teams and their arbitration-eligible players to agree on salaries for next season or exchange figures for a potential hearing. The Astros avoided any hearings after going to one each of the past two offseasons with Dubón and Kyle Tucker.
Valdez will make $18 million in 2025, a person with knowledge of the deal said. The left-hander, who is entering his final season under team control, received a raise from his $12.1 million salary last season.
Valdez finished seventh in AL Cy Young voting in 2024 after posting a 15-7 record with a 2.91 ERA in 28 starts. He has garnered top-10 Cy Young finishes in each of the last three years.
Houston will pay a total of $44.75 million to eight arbitration-eligible players next season. Terms of the agreements were confirmed by people with knowledge of the deals.
Paredes, acquired in the trade of Tucker to the Cubs, agreed to a $6.625 million salary, nearly double the $3.4 million he made last season in his first year of arbitration eligibility. He posted a 115 OPS-plus and garnered his first All-Star selection in 2024, during which he was traded from the Rays to the Cubs.
Houston plans to install Paredes at third base as an apparent successor to Alex Bregman, who is still a free agent. As a Super Two player, Paredes will have four years of arbitration eligibility and stay under team control through the 2027 season.
Peña and Meyers were both arbitration-eligible for the first time this winter. Peña, who agreed at $4.1 million, has been Houston’s primary shortstop for three seasons and posted a league-average 100 OPS-plus across 157 games last year. Meyers, who settled at $2.3 million, started 126 games in center field, where he was a Gold Glove finalist, and had an 85 OPS-plus across 148 total games.
Dubón agreed to a $5 million salary, avoiding going to a hearing for a second consecutive year. Dubón won his hearing last winter, making a $3.5 million salary in 2024 after the Astros had filed at $3 million. He posted an 88 OPS-plus last season while appearing at seven defensive positions.
McCormick, Abreu and Garica were arbitration-eligible for a second time. McCormick agreed to a $3.4 million deal, a slight raise from his $2.85 million salary in 2024, after struggling to a 66 OPS-plus last season. That followed a breakout 2023 in which McCormick hit 22 home runs with a 130 OPS-plus.
Abreu agreed at $3.45 million, up from a $1.75 million salary in 2024, after making 78 outings with a 3.10 ERA and 103 strikeouts, tied for third-most among relievers. Garcia will receive a $1.875 million salary, matching his salary in 2024, which he missed while recovering from Tommy John surgery.
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