HOUSTON -- As the Astros begin free agency and a pursuit of pitcher Gerrit Cole, owner Jim Crane said on Monday it¡¯s possible that the club could exceed the luxury tax threshold next year for the first time. The Astros¡¯ estimated payroll next year, according to Baseball-Reference.com, will be about $208 million (the threshold for 2020). Teams that carry payrolls above the set amount are assessed a Competitive Balance Tax on each dollar above it.
Crane, speaking at the grand opening of Memorial Park Golf Course following a redevelopment spearheaded by the Astros Golf Foundation, said the length of the deal would be the biggest challenge of trying to re-sign Cole, who went 24-6 with a 2.28 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 373 strikeouts in 249 innings across 38 starts in the regular season and playoffs.
¡°We¡¯re going to take a run at it,¡± Crane said. ¡°We don¡¯t know if we can get to where they want to get. [Agent Scott] Boras is tough to deal with.¡±
The Astros extended Cole a $17.8 million qualifying offer before Monday¡¯s deadline, but he¡¯s a lock to reject it and become a free agent. If he signs before the 2020 MLB Draft, the Astros would get a compensatory pick in June. Cole, 29, could be seeking a record deal for a pitcher.
¡°We¡¯ll stick our nose in there and see where we¡¯re at and see what we can go with Gerrit,¡± Crane said. ¡°He did a great job and had a great year and pitched well in the playoffs. Either way, I wish him the best of luck. He¡¯s been a great asset for the team.¡±
Included in the Astros' estimated payroll are large contract extensions for Justin Verlander ($33 million), José Altuve ($29 million) and Alex Bregman ($13 million). What¡¯s more, the Astros will pay $24.7 million of the $35 million owed to Zack Greinke. Josh Reddick ($13 million) and Michael Brantley ($16 million) will be in the final years of their deals, along with George Springer, who could approach $20 million in his final year of arbitration.
To make room for any free agents, the Astros would have to trim some payroll. That could include trading Reddick, though they¡¯d have to pay some of his salary. Jeff Luhnow, president of baseball operations and general manager, said that any trades would be made with baseball in mind and not salary.
¡°We¡¯re probably over the line at this point without any added additions,¡± Luhnow said. ¡°Fortunately, Jim¡¯s been really open to different investment ideas depending on how we justify it and [how it] helps our team. At the end of the day, we¡¯re not going to know our payroll until we start next year. There¡¯s going to be opportunities to improve the team.¡±
In addition to tendering Cole, the Astros added left-hander Kent Emanuel to their 40-man roster, reinstated right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. from the 60-day injured list and declined the 2020 option on reliever Chris Devenski, who remains with the club as an arbitration-eligible player. Emanuel would have been a Minor League free agent had he not been added to the roster.
Hinch endorses Beltr¨¢n
Carlos Beltr¨¢n, who was introduced as the manager of the Mets on Monday, is ready for the challenge, said Astros manager AJ Hinch. Beltr¨¢n finished his career and won a World Series ring with the Astros in 2017 and learned under Hinch and bench coach Alex Cora, who just finished his second year as manager of the Red Sox.
¡°It¡¯s incredible to see guys stay in the game,¡± Hinch said. ¡°I¡¯m happy he wants to work, I¡¯m happy that he wants to lead. He¡¯s a magnet for players. I think it¡¯s going to be very easy for him to galvanize that clubhouse. He¡¯ll absorb all different parts of the job. He¡¯s going to learn parts of the job he had no idea about until later in his career, and he¡¯s going to do good at it.
¡°I think they hired a good man, they hired an incredible baseball man who wants to work after such a successful career. It¡¯s good for the game.¡±
Cintron to manage in Puerto Rico
Hitting coach Alex Cintron traveled on Sunday to his native Puerto Rico, where he¡¯ll spend the winter managing the Gigantes de Carolina of the Puerto Rican Winter League. He was named the league¡¯s Manager of the Year last season in his first season managing in Puerto Rico.
¡°I learned how to manage players,¡± Cintron said. ¡°There¡¯s different personalities. It¡¯s way different than here because there¡¯s a lot of Minor League guys, guys who played in the big leagues, guys who were out of the game. It¡¯s crazy.¡±
Cintron played parts of nine years in the big leagues and has been with the Astros since 2017, when he was hired as the Astros¡¯ Spanish translator, advance scout and assistant coach. He spent the 2018 season as the Astros¡¯ first-base coach before becoming hitting coach prior to last season. He could be in Puerto Rico managing until January, but he loves to stay involved.
¡°It¡¯s learning more about the game, how to be involved in controlling situations and dealing with players and coaches and running all that,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m preparing myself, and that will help me when I come back here, because I know of the games and am already prepared and thinking about it.¡±