As was discussed almost one year ago, the Astros were in a position where they needed to spend loads of cash to keep the 107-win band together last offseason. A rendezvous with the collective bargaining tax (CBT) was exceedingly likely no matter what occurred last offseason, even accounting for Gerrit Cole’s eventual departure in free agency. The uncertainty itself was centered around the general amount of the bill and how much Jim Crane was willing to spend. The fear I had was that Houston would largely stand pat on roster decisions due to limit a potential tax hit.
A Rundown of the Astros 2021 Payroll
