Houston Astros Must Extend Two of Their Biggest Stars Before It's Too Late

The Houston Astros have been trying for weeks now to extend two of their biggest stars ahead of Opening Day. Even new Astros General Manager Dana Brown has chimed in publicly on the exerted efforts to try and retain pitcher Framber Valdez and Gold Glover Kyle Tucker.

Brown went as far to give a 48 hour timeline just over a week ago to get these deals done. The feeling at the time was that Valdez was closer to an agreement than Tucker with the latter seeking a much longer term deal.

That speculation has prompted The Athletic's Tim Britton to put both players on his "Tier 1: Get this done now" list of players who need to be extended by their respective clubs.

Britton postulates that extensions with Valdez and Tucker would allow them not just to keep two very valuable players under control for seasons to come, but it would also allow Houston to pivot towards Alex Bregman and Jose Altuve as the team works to keep both of those players around after the 2024 MLB season.

Tucker's predicted contract value by Britton is a nine-year, $211 million deal while Valdez's sits at five years and $80 million.

For Tucker, he would get his long-term deal, even if it doesn't quite reach the 10 year mark he is searching for. It would also keep the perennial MVP candidate in Houston as they continue to build out their dynasty.

Valdez on the other hand would be paid like a top-of-the-rotation starter but would also have financial security through his age-34 season.

Both of those deals are fair to the players and shouldn't break the bank for the Astros if they are serious about keeping around two of their most productive players.

Brown is renowned for his negotiating skills and ability to get contract extensions done. Now would be a good time to exercise those lauded abilities on two of the most important players currently on the roster.

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