The Astros on Friday announced they tendered contracts to all 11 of their arbitration-eligible players, in the wake of subtracting two others from their roster this week -- utilitymen Mauricio Dubón (traded to the Braves) and Ramón Urías (designated for assignment).
Additionally, Houston signed right-hander Enyel De Los Santos to a one-year contract and outfielder Taylor Trammell to a one-year, split contract fro 2026. Both players were also eligible for salary arbitration.
The group of 11, along with their salaries from 2025, per Cots Baseball Contracts:
- RHP Bryan Abreu (3rd year arbitration eligible): $3.45 million
- IF Nick Allen (1st year): $780,000
- RHP Hunter Brown (1st year): $1.2 million
- C Yainer Diaz (1st year): $805,600
- OF Jake Meyers (2nd year): $2.3 million
- LHP Steven Okert (3rd year): $1.2 million
- IF Isaac Paredes (3rd year): $6.625 million
- SS Jeremy Peña (2nd year): $4.1 million
- OF Jesús Sánchez (2nd year): $4.5 million
- LHP Bennett Sousa (1st year): $760,000
- RHP Hayden Wesneski (1st year): $790,000
MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reported that De Los Santos’ deal is for $1.6 million and includes a $100,000 bonus if he appears in 60 games, while Trammell’s contract is for $500,000 guaranteed and $900,000 if he makes the Major League roster.
The next step for the group of 11 is to exchange salary-arbitration figures, with that deadline coming on Jan. 8. However, agreements can come sooner -- as many did Friday across the Majors.
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Friday’s transactions brought the Astros’ 40-man roster to capacity, though the club is still expected to make several moves this offseason to address its needs. Specifically, Houston is in the market for starting pitching and potentially another left-handed bat, and it could be among the more aggressive clubs to address that area in the free-agent and trade markets, as general manager Dana Brown said this week.
“We’re trying to get creative in getting some pitching, and in doing so, pitching is going to cost,” Brown said following the Dubón trade.
That deal -- which netted infielder Nick Allen from Atlanta -- along with moving on from Urías, freed up payroll to help the Astros in those pursuits of external talent. And while they could’ve trimmed more ahead of Friday’s 4 p.m. CT non-tender deadline, the decision to keep all 11 players in the fold also gives the Astros flexibility should they decide to trade anyone from that group or DFA them later this offseason as 40-man roster spots become needed (Meyers and Sánchez might be the clearest candidates).
The Hot Stove season is in full swing, but there has been little traction at the top of the free-agent and trade markets. But with the Winter Meetings in Orlando in just two weeks, things could heat up soon.