How Astros Might Navigate 11 Players Who Are Arbitration Eligible This Offseason

It was a disheartening season for the Houston Astros (and their fans), to say the least, as they entered the postseason with the worst record in playoff history and performed just as poorly, getting swept in the wild card round.

All that said, there are many areas of the roster that need to be improved upon, and to do that, the front office needs to know what salaries are expected, not just for those who have guaranteed contracts, but for those who are eligible for arbitration as well.

Now the Astros have 11 who are set to negotiate contracts for the 2027 season, and MLB Trade Rumors has been using Matt Swart's model to predict those amounts for over a decade. So, Darragh McDonald listed all 30 organizations for this year, and here is how Houston's could shape out:

3B Isaac Paredes: $15 million
SS Jeremy Pena: $13.1 million
SP Hunter Brown: $6.8 million
C Yainer Diaz: $6.3 million
SP Peter Lambert: $4.6 million
OF Jake Meyers: $3.6 million
SP Hayden Wesneski: $1.8 million
INF Nick Allen: $1.8 million
OF Taylor Trammell: $1.5 million
SP Ronel Blanco: $1.4 million
Reliever Bennett Sousa: $1.3 million

Back-to-back wild pitches from Astros reliever Bennett Sousa. One results in a run and the other wastes a strikeout pic.twitter.com/D7vW8iHCOA
— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) September 29, 2026

However, many would be pleased to not see Bennett Sousa return, as he posted a 7.00+ ERA over his last 15 starts. So, if management cannot get a trade return for him, he could be designated for assignment.

There has also been plenty of speculation regarding star shortstop Jeremy Pena being dealt, as the return would be astronomical. But they might not be able to afford losing his bat, as he was one of five players to hit at least 20 bombs in the year, despite playing 40 fewer games than the other four.

Other Notable Arbitration Predictions for the Astros

Hunter Brown throws a baseball in an orange Astros jersey — Astros pitcher Hunter Brown (58) throws a pitch against the Athletics. Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Hunter Brown is the first name that jumps off the page because he went from a Cy Young contender to no longer the team's ace in 2026, which was highlighted by his inability to get out of the first inning in their elimination game in the postseason.

So, he is only expected to jump a million dollars between 2026 and 2027, which wouldn't have been the case if he hadn't been injured or shown any signs of consistency throughout the year.

Then, there is Peter Lambert, who was truly the saving grace to the starting rotation,n as he led the starters in wins, strikeouts, and WHIP as the workhorse of the team. If he is awarded anywhere near that estimate, that will be quite the jump from $1.5 million in 2026.

The offseason needs to be big for Houston to avoid the embarrassment that came to be in 2026, and that means getting at least one more starter and beefing up the bullpen.

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