Astros Need A Rebound Season From Framber Valdez And Cristian Javier In 2024
For as much criticism as the lineup endured in 2023, the Astros ultimate downfall was primarily due to a sharp pitching regression. A staff that posted a 2.90 ERA and 3.28 FIP in 2022 — arguably the best in the spot with 26.5 wins — never clicked on all cylinders the following season, which led to a 3.94 ERA, 4.31 FIP, and only 15.2 wins. While there were a couple of personnel changes, the staff was mostly the same following Justin Verlander’s return at the trade deadline. Losing Luis García and Lance McCullers Jr. for most, if not all, of 2023 didn’t help matters, but there simply wasn’t a ton of turnover within the staff. But the downturn in performance — expected and unexpected — was a key factor in why this roster squeaked into the postseason with only 90 wins and ultimately lost four home games in the ALCS.
Cristian Javier Has A Strikeout Problem Now
When researching topics to write about for today’s post, I initially fixed my sights, again, on Cristian Javier. <a href="https://www.crawfishboxes.com/2022/12/12/23502786/astros-that-time-cristian-javier-adjusted-to-ronald-acuna-jr">I haven’t made it a secret in the past </a>that he is my favorite pitcher currently on the Astros. There arguably isn’t a more intriguing pitcher on the entire staff, other than perhaps Framber Valdez. The pitching lab, if one may call it that, built in Houston — first by Brent Strom then continued by the pitching coach wonder duo of Joshua Miller and Bill Murphy — has produced plenty of success stories in recent years. But Javier’s version might go down as one of the greatest hits from this franchise’s recent contention cycle.
Astros Extend Cristian Javier
At the end of the work week, right around when arbitration cases were being decided, the new Astros GM made good on what he clearly indicated was a priority—extending certain players still under team control. He did so in the form of 5 year, $64 million extension to Cristian Javier, who was entering his first year of arbitration. The deal not only locks in what would have been his second and third years (potentially saving the Astros a higher price tag were Javier to continue excelling), but also buys out what would have been his first two years of free agency. The scaled payout means that the Astros are controlling arbitration costs and giving Javier a 2/42 contract as a free agent.