Astros To Re-Sign Michael Brantley

The Astros have agreed to a one-year, $12MM take care of outfielder Michael Brantley, pending a bodily.  The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported the contract worth, with The New York Publish’s Jon Heyman (Twitter links) including that the deal additionally accommodates $4MM in extra incentive bonuses.  FanSided’s Robert Murray (Twitter link) initially reported that the 2 sides had been in talks a couple of new deal.  Brantley is represented by Excel Sports activities Administration.

Brantley is getting into his age-36 season, and 2023 shall be his fifth 12 months in a Houston uniform.  He beforehand signed a pair of two-year, $32MM pacts with the workforce in his two previous journeys to free company, and by coincidence, it was 4 years in the past at the moment that Brantley first agreed to affix the Astros.

When it comes to pure numbers, Brantley’s tenure in Houston has been very profitable, with a 128 wRC+ and a .306/.368/.464 slash line and 40 homers over 1609 plate appearances.  Sadly for Brantley, his position within the Astros’ 2022 championship season ended on June 26, on account of a shoulder damage that ultimately required surgical procedure.  Brantley performed in solely 64 video games.

This isn’t the primary time Brantley has handled a shoulder surgical procedure, as he beforehand went underneath the knife to repair a small labrum tear in 2015 and subsequently performed in solely 11 video games for Cleveland within the 2016 season.  Past the shoulder issues, Brantley has additionally confronted ankle and again issues all through his profession, however his first three seasons with the Astros had been moderately wholesome.  Quad, knee, and hamstring points despatched Brantley to the injured checklist thrice in 2020-21, however all three IL stints mixed for roughly a month of missed time.

The presence of Yordan Alvarez has in all probability stored the Astros from utilizing Brantley as a DH as usually as they’d in all probability like, although on paper, supervisor Dusty Baker can alternate the 2 gamers between left discipline and DH to be able to hopefully maintain everybody contemporary.  With Brantley again within the combine, Jake Meyers and Chas McCormick will now be splitting time in middle discipline.

The Astros had been known to be looking for outfield assist, ideally a left-handed bat (like Brantley) to stability out a lineup of largely right-handed hitters.  Michael Conforto and the switch-hitting Jurickson Profar had been different free brokers reportedly on Houston’s radar, and the Astros additionally had some talks with the Diamondbacks about their surplus of lefty-hitting outfielders, particularly Daulton Varsho.  Amongst gamers who’ve already signed with different groups, Andrew Benintendi and Cody Bellinger additionally obtained some consideration from the World Collection champions.

Amongst all these choices, the Astros opted for a well-known face in Brantley, relying on a comeback 12 months.  The signing means that Houston (who is aware of Brantley’s medical profile higher than anybody) is feeling good in regards to the outfielder’s possibilities of each recovering effectively from shoulder rehab, and returning to his prior type on the plate.  The $4MM in efficiency incentives provides Brantley an extra probability to money in ought to he certainly keep wholesome and sustain his normal ranges of productiveness.

Whereas the accidents are naturally the most important query mark hanging over Brantley, there may be additionally the matter of what may be anticipated of any hitter as he will get deeper into his 30’s.  Brantley’s homer totals and slugging proportion have each dropped reasonably sharply over the past two seasons, although he gave the impression to be adjusting by having a extra eager eye on the plate.  Albeit within the small pattern measurement of 277 PA, Brantley’s 11.2% stroll charge in 2022 was the very best of his 14-year Main League profession.  Brantley has additionally remained one in every of baseball’s hardest hitters to strike out, and his 45.1% hard-hit ball whole final season was additionally his highest since Statcast started monitoring the class in 2015.

Between Brantley and Jose Abreu, the Astros have bolstered their lineup with a pair of “skilled hitter” varieties who brings loads of expertise to the desk.  Between Brantley’s $12MM deal and Abreu’s three-year, $58.5MM contract, Houston’s estimated payroll now sits at roughly $194MM, with a luxurious tax determine of simply over $209MM.  That also leaves the Astros effectively underneath the $233MM luxurious tax threshold, and a few of that area might be used on a catcher, since Houston has explored the marketplace for backstops.  Some less-expensive choices like Tucker Barnhart stay in free company, or the Astros might look into trades with catcher-heavy groups just like the Blue Jays.

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