This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/astros/onsi as Astros Have Multiple Candidates for Worst Contract in Baseball. The Houston Astros have done their best to avoid handing out bad contracts in recent years, consistently letting their top players leave in free agency rather than re-sign or extend them to long-term deals.

Houston parted with Dubón, Ramón Urías, Chas McCormick and Luis Garcia all last month, moves that pared an estimated $15.8 million from the club's projected 2026 payroll and created more room under the luxury tax that it can ostensibly use in other pursuits (rotation, left-handed hitter) this winter.

The Houston Astros underwent a sizable reshuffling of their roster over the past year. Two franchise pillars left before the 2025 season. One returned in July, and Houston's starting lineup during the summer included many faces unfamiliar to casual fans of Houston's Golden Era. Further reorganization will continue this offseason.

According to MLB insiders Ken Rosenthal and Katie Woo of The Athletic, the Astros are seeing trade interest in outfielder Jake Meyers pick up. With a few teams expressing interest, the right-handed-hitting outfielder could be dealt this winter.

The MLB offseason has gotten off to a roaring start, and we've only just reached the month of December. Impactful players like Taylor Ward, Brandon Nimmo and So

The Astros don’t have a ton of breathing room between their current payroll figures and the first  tier of the luxury tax threshold — a line owner Jim Crane is once again reportedly loath to cross.

Kyle Tucker contract analysis: Perfect $415M deal Astros must offer to steal star from Cubs in free agency.

The Baltimore Orioles have been one of the most active teams of the offseason so far, headlined by the acquisitions of Taylor Ward and Ryan Helsley. But still,

The Houston Astros have lost a lot of stars over the last few years. They're set to lose their ace, Framber Valdez, next.

With the MLB trade rumors going on at full swing, the Houston Astros could be on the verge of adding another experienced arm to their pitching staff. According to KBO insider Daniel Kim, right-hander Ryan Weiss is close to signing with Houston after putting together one of the best seasons in the Korean league.