Depending on the site of your choice, the exact amount of 2023 payroll obligations varies by a few million in either direction. For example, RosterResource on FanGraphs currently projects the Astros to commit roughly $179 million in player payroll for 2023, including projected arbitration salaries from MLB Trade Rumors. Cot’s Baseball Contracts with Baseball Prospectus has an estimated $173 million figure for next season, with Spotrac coming in with about $176 million. The variation between all three sites is most likely due to arbitration projections and player benefits.
The difference between the three sites is not substantial and provides a helpful snapshot of how the payroll is set up for 2023.