The Houston Astros made their first big move of the offseason last weekend, trading for Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mike Burrows in a three-team trade that also included the Tampa Bay Rays. The trade not only highlighted Houston's belief in developing Burrows into an effective starter at the major league level, but served as a reminder that trades will likely be the theme of the offseason.
Along those lines, final CBT calculations for 2025 confirmed that the Astros did, in fact, go over the luxury tax. Jim Crane's wanting to avoid going over the luxury tax in 2026 is the reason why the Astros aren't exactly players in free agency, and that isn't expected to change in the aftermath of the trade for Burrows.