HOUSTON ¨C Coming off a season in which the Astros had the fifth-highest payroll in baseball and exceeded the Competitive Balance Tax for the first time, owner Jim Crane said Monday he would be ¡°comfortable enough¡± to spend similarly on his team in 2025.

That could bode well for the club¡¯s pursuit of free agent third baseman Alex Bregman, who remains the Astros¡¯ top offseason priority. Crane, speaking after the club announced Minute Maid Park would be rebranded as Daikin Park in 2025, said Astros general manager Dana Brown has been visiting frequently with Scott Boras, the agent for Bregman, but there was nothing else to report.

• Where could Bregman land in free agency?

¡°We want to try to field the best team we can without going crazy,¡± Crane said. ¡°Some of the payrolls are pretty high for the biggest teams, but I think we were the fifth-highest payroll. That¡¯s the first time we¡¯ve done that. We have the wherewithal to do that if we need to do it.¡±

The Astros began last season with a club-record $236.5 million payroll and have about $115.9 million committed to seven players next year, according to Cot¡¯s Contracts. That doesn¡¯t include the $19.5 million they owe first baseman Jos¨¦ Abreu or the $11.5 million they owe reliever Rafael Montero, both of whom were designated for assignment last season.

Bregman, one of the top free agents on the market this winter, isn¡¯t expected to make a decision any time soon. The Astros aren¡¯t in position to wait indefinitely for a response, though, considering the club¡¯s needs at other positions, such as first base, relief pitching and starting pitching.

¡°We know Scott,¡± Crane said. ¡°He¡¯s going to do the best he can to get the most for [Bregman] if it¡¯s a place he wants to go. ¡­ At some point, we would have to make a decision. We¡¯re looking now at a backup [options]. You¡¯re exploring all the options, so that¡¯s what¡¯s happening now.¡±

• Bregman decision to shape Astros' offseason

Among the infielders the Astros have expressed interest in is Jorge Polanco, according to a source. A switch-hitter who hit for a career-low .651 OPS in 118 games with the Mariners in 2024, he posted a .724 OPS and hit 11 of his 16 homers in 63 games after July 9 and is coming off knee surgery. MLB Network¡¯s Jon Morosi reported the Astros are interested in free agent Willy Adames, but he¡¯s played mostly shortstop in the big leagues. Houston¡¯s needs are on the corners.

Crane isn¡¯t a believer in signing free agents to lengthy deals. He¡¯s never guaranteed more than five years to a free agent, and the biggest deal he¡¯s given to any player is the $151 million that second baseman Jose Altuve received with his extension in 2018. The baseline for a Bregman deal may be the six-year, $151 million extension that third baseman Matt Chapman ¨C also a Boras client ¨C signed with the Giants in September.

¡°You have to be cognizant of that because the longer the contracts on the back end, it gets difficult to carry it and you decrease your ability to be competitive when you've got a lot of money tied up,¡± Crane said. ¡°We have some money coming off the payroll next year, as you well know. We run it like a business, and we make good decisions.¡±

Crane admitted that after the season ended, seeing Altuve plead with the club to re-sign Bregman caught his attention.

¡°We love Altuve. I love Altuve,¡± he said. ¡°We told him we were going to make a strong effort to get it done and that we¡¯d do our best. It carries some weight with me, and it carries some weight with Dana. He¡¯s been our best player on our team for a long time, and hopefully he¡¯ll continue that. We've got him here until, hopefully, he gets into the Hall of Fame.¡±

Bregman, who earlier this month won the American League Rawlings Gold Glove Award at third base, has until 3 p.m. CT on Tuesday to accept or reject the Astros¡¯ $21.05 million qualifying offer for next season. He¡¯s all but certain to reject the offer and remain on the open market.

A mainstay on both the Astros¡¯ World Series championship teams (2017 and 2022), Bregman slashed .260/.315/.453 with 26 homers and 75 RBIs last season, including an .838 OPS from May 9 to the end of the season. Brown said earlier this month at the General Managers Meetings in San Antonio that Bregman was ¡°without a doubt¡± the biggest priority for the Astros.