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The Astros have begun looking toward the future just days after a loss to the Atlanta Braves in the World Series, and most recently Houston has picked up first baseman Yuli Gurriel’s club option and given Manager Dusty Baker a one-year extension, according to MLB.com.
In 2016, Gurriel was signed to a five-year contract and he excelled, highlighted by his 31 homers and 104 RBIs in 2019. He had a tough 2020 where he batted .232 in a pandemic shortened season, but the Astros gave the first baseman a contract extension, and in 2021 the 37-year-old won the Gold Glove and had an American League best .319 average to go with 15 homers and 81 RBIs.
“Happy and grateful to announce that I’ve been informed by the team, that I’ll be an Astro next season. I’ll bet back in H-Town in ’22. Let’s go get it! #ForTheH,” Gurriel tweeted on Nov. 4.
Gurriel is part of an infield corps that has played a Major League record 73 career playoff games together, according to MLB.com. This includes fellow 2021 Gold Glove shortstop Carlos Correa, 2015 Gold Glove second baseman and 2017 MVP Jose Altuve, and All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman. Bregman and Altuve have signed contract extensions for three years.
MLB.com reported that Baker, 72, was signed to a one-year contract extension, which will put him in his 25th year as a Major League manager. He was hired by Houston in January 2020. The team is coming off a 95-win season and a World Series appearance, and Baker says there is unfinished business for both himself and the Astros organization. Baker is also only 13 wins away from the 2,000 win milestone.
“We’ve been to the World Series the last couple of times and had a good year, but not a great year,” Baker said to MLB.com “These guys were very disappointed, but they also know we’ll be back.”
The two key returns are not the only ones on the radar for the Astros, as Correa has hit the free agency market. The 27-year-old All-Star from Puerto Rico is expected to garner plenty of interest around the league and could be looking at a huge pay increase after being an integral piece of the team’s success since his Rookie of the Year season in 2015. Baker said he hopes the team can sign him.
Also electing free agency was two-time Cy Young award winner Justin Verlander, who has battled injuries the past two years but has been one of the best in the game when healthy.
The Astros recently presented them each with a qualifying offer of $18.4 million for one year, but Correa is expected to turn it down as he is slated for millions more than this number for multiple years. MLB.com reported that Correa rejected a six-year, $120 million offer and a five-year $125 million offer already. KRIV-TV reported that he was recently offered five years for $160 million.