The Houston Astros might soon have a dilemma on their hands. The positive end of the spectrum is that Jeremy Peña's offensive breakthrough finally came at a point when Jose Altuve is declining, Christian Walker was disappointing, and the club has been desperately needing an offensive spark.
The downside is that means the dynamic shortstop is going to get paid. Peña made $4.1 million last season in his first go-around through the arbitration process. That number was based on the strength of his defense, base-running contributions, and league-average bat while playing a premium position. The 2025 All-Star's bat is no longer league average, posting a 135 wRC+ last season; his performance was 35% better than that of an average hitter.