Houston Astros owner Jim Crane spoke with reporters when the team introduced Tatsuya Imai earlier this week, and the biggest takeaway was that there may not be in-season extensions looming for general manager Dana Brown and manager Joe Espada. In addition, Crane responded to a popular theory surrounding Houston's 2026 payroll outlook.
Throughout the early months of the offseason, the impression was that the Astros did not want to go over the first level of the CBT next season. The Astros were a luxury-tax payer in 2025, and considering the increased penalties for being a repeat offender, and the state of Houston's roster, it made sense why Crane didn't exactly want to be aggressive this offseason.