Houston Astros sign Cristian Javier to contract extension
A DONE DEAL
11 February 2023
A DONE DEAL
The Houston Astros and Cristian Javier have agreed to a contract extension. It's a 5-year deal for $64 million.
New #Astros GM Dana Brown wastes no time on the job, signing Cristian Javier to 5-year, $64 contract extension.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) February 10, 2023
Javier was 11-9 last season with a 2.54 ERA over 148.2 innings pitched. His combined no-hitter against the Phillies flipped the World Series and helped Houston win a championship in 2022. A great signing for Houston!
We have signed RHP Cristian Javier to a five-year contract extension, Astros GM Dana Brown announced today. The deal will run through the 2027 season. pic.twitter.com/7b63quYIZW
— Houston Astros (@astros) February 10, 2023
Not long after the Astros pulled the trigger on trading Kyle Tucker, we started seeing reports about the club's interest in trading for Cardinals 3rd baseman Nolan Arenado.
The Athletic's Chandler Rome also reported that Arenado has a no-trade clause, and it's unclear if he would waive it to come to Houston. Earlier last week, a list of teams Arenado would reportedly waive his no-trade clause for circulated on the internet, and Houston was not on it.
The Astros are thought to still be in contention to re-sign Alex Bregman, but a trade for Arenado would kill any hope of a reunion with Breggy.
Also, one of the benefits of trading Tucker was using this as an opportunity to add to a depleted farm system. While Arenado is not expected to bring back a haul of coveted prospects, the Astros would be wise to avoid trading away any young talent for an aging player that's clearly regressing.
As Charlie Pallilo points out in the video below, a deep dive into Arenado's stats shows his numbers are frighteningly close to Jose Abreu's 2023 season. And we all know how that movie ended.
If the 'Stros are going to move on from Tucker and Bregman in the same offseason, it would be nice to give the fan base something exciting to look forward to. Such as signing a switch hitting power hitter like Anthony Santander to play left field.
If Houston goes into the season with an outfield consisting of Mauricio Dubon, Jake Meyers, and Chas McCormick, the infield better produce at a high level or this offense will struggle to score runs once again.
Which brings us to Framber Valdez. As it looks right now, the Astros are trying to reset while also planning to contend in a weak AL West. Would it be more wise to “rip off the band-aid” and deal Framber to speed up the rebuild?
Don't miss the video above as the guys from Stone Cold 'Stros address the latest trade reports, team building, and much more!