This decision doesn’t mean that a key member of the Houston Astros pitching staff is available on the open market just yet.
Just a few days after a disappointing outcome on baseball’s biggest stage, a former ace for the Astros is preparing to enter free agency again. This player, who spent two seasons with the team, opted out of his contract with the American League champion New York Yankees on Saturday.
ESPN reported that the Yankees still have a chance to retain him. New York can avoid the opt-out by adding one year and 36milliontothefouryearsand 144 million remaining on his deal.
It’s likely that New York will exercise its option to keep the 34-year-old pitcher.
He had a record of 8-5 with a 3.41 ERA in 2024, as he missed much of the first half of the season due to an elbow injury. Despite this, he helped lead the Yankees to the World Series for the first time since 2009, although they lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games.
In that Game 5 loss, he played a key role by failing to cover first base on a Mookie Betts ground ball, which contributed to a five-run fifth inning for the Dodgers.
Throughout his five seasons in New York, he has performed impressively, holding a 59-28 record with a 3.12 ERA. He has recorded 985 strikeouts and 185 walks during this period.
In the last four years with New York, he finished in the Top 10 of Cy Young voting each season, finally winning the award in 2023 after a standout season where he went 15-4 with an AL-leading 2.63 ERA, striking out 222 batters with 48 walks.
The Astros originally acquired him in a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates, sending Joe Musgrove, Michael Feliz, Colin Moran, and Jason Martin in return.
He had two standout seasons with the Astros, helping them win the AL West both years and reach the World Series in 2019, where he recorded a 35-10 record with a 2.68 ERA.
In 2018, he was named an All-Star for the second time, finishing that season with a 15-5 record, a 2.88 ERA, 276 strikeouts, and 64 walks.
In 2019, he made the All-Star Game again and posted a 20-5 record with an AL-leading 2.50 ERA and a Major League-leading 386 strikeouts, finishing second in Cy Young voting behind teammate Justin Verlander.
Before his tenure with the Astros, he spent his first five seasons with the Pirates, achieving a 59-42 record with a 3.50 ERA. His best season came in 2015, when he made his first All-Star Game with a 19-8 record and finished fourth in National League Cy Young voting.
Over his career, he has a record of 153-80 with a 3.18 ERA, including 2,251 strikeouts and 500 walks.
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