More Details Emerge About Houston Astros Self Imposed Budget

It seems like it will be a quiet offseason after all for the Houston Astros as more information about their budget has been reported on this offseason.

Eyebrows were raised and ears perked up when Houston Astros' general manager, Dana Brown, mentioned the limited budget that his front office had to work with this offseason.

Their collapse in the American League Championship Series at home, where they have historically played so well, was potentially seen as a precursor to the Astros pursuing upgrades.

That does not seem to be the case after Brown's comments.

Owner Jim Crane has spent money in the past and has carried a team salary that's been above league average every season starting in 2018.

So, what's the deal with the self imposed salary cap that Houston is operating under now?

In a piece for The Athletic, Chandler Rome went into more detail surrounding how things have operated under Crane during his ownership and how he has used the competitive balance tax as his arbitrary cut off point.

"Some ballclubs, however, will treat the threshold in a similar vein, shaving payroll or shedding talent to avoid taxation before the final payrolls are calculated at the end of the season ... Only Crane can answer whether he considers the CBT a salary cap or whether it is dictating his team’s dormant offseason," he wrote.

But why is staying under the luxury tax such a priority after the Astros had over three million people attend Minute Maid Park last season, which was their most since 2007?

Much of it has to do with potential losses in free agency and the prospect of rebuilding if that happens.

"Presuming neither signs a long-term extension before the season, [Alex] Bregman and [Jose] Altuve will each receive qualifying offers before entering the open market. If both decline and sign elsewhere, the Astros will receive compensatory draft picks after the second round. However, if they pay the competitive balance tax, those picks would come after the fourth round," Rome writes.

That is an important part of how the organization will plan things going forward. Brown was hired to start rebuilding their farm system as it's been ranked as the worst in the MLB the past few years.

This might be frustrating for fans of the team to read with Crane being valued at over $1 billion according to Forbes, but it might also be the best way to ensure prosperity going forward.

Ultimately, it will come down to the players on the field to achieve success.

They still have a ready-made roster and are still a team that has made it to a record seven-straight American League Championship Series.