For the first time in club history, the Astros will pay a CB tax of around $4.5 million this offseason for spending over the initial two thresholds of $237 million and $257 million in 2024. The first time, you may wonder? Didn’t Houston also exceed the first threshold back in 2020? Well, technically, yes, but due to MLB suspending the tax during the shortened COVID season, Jim Crane’s pocketbook was unaffected, at least in this regard. The 2024 season was actually the second time the Astros have spent past the initial threshold and the first time beyond the second threshold.
An Offseason Payroll Primer
