What the Contract Extensions Really Mean

As you all know, the Astros have agreed to contract extensions this week with Alex Bregman and Ryan Pressly. Bregman signed for $100 million/6 years, and Pressly for $17.5 million/2 years. The general consensus is that these are both team friendly contracts.

Reportedly the Astros are closing in on a deal with Justin Verlander for two years, $66 million. And last year 2017 MVP Jose Altuve signed an extension with the Astros as well, also considered a team friendly contract.

Besides the fact that the Astros are locking in star players long-term, and have Carlos Correa under team control until 2022, here’s the real good news about these team friendly extensions.

Of course Alex Bregman said it best:

“I wanted to play here. I didn’t want to play anywhere else. I wanted to be in orange and blue for as long as I possibly can. I love this organization, I want to win here for a long time.”

Apparently, that’s what MVP’s Altuve and Verlander think too. And maybe that’s why All-Star Michael Brantley signed such a team friendly free agent contract to come to Houston.

Bottom line: It looks like the Astros is becoming the clubhouse where all the cool kids come to play. So besides drafting well, and developing talent well, maybe that’s how a mid-market team can compete long-term with the big boys.

As one our our favorite commenters likes to say:

“The Astros are going to be good for a long time.”