Houston Astros: Three reasons why Evan Gattis isn’t going anywhere

3. Show Me the Money!

MLBTradeRumors.com projects that Evan Gattis will make roughly $6.6 million in his last year of arbitration next season. In relation to WAR to dollars comparison that Fangraphs have calculated, El Oso Blanco is worth about a million dollars more. $7.6 million, to be exact.

Looking at the grand scheme of things, these numbers don’t exactly break the bank. In fact, it’s not completely uncommon for an arb eligible player to go ahead and get extended. Somewhere in the ballpark of 5 years at 7 million/year is not an earth shattering contract. Most free agents usually get paid the double digit millions of bucks!

Clearly, there are other priorities on the team, like Dallas Keuchel and Marwin Gonzalez, who are also eligible for free agency the same year as Evan Gattis. However, Mike Fiers is likely a non tender candidate this winter, and Jon Singleton will likely not get his 2019 option picked up, either. All 5 free agents from this past season have already hit the market with the lack of any qualifying offers extended on Monday.

So yes, there will be plenty of ways to shed the payroll and still sign the core guys like George Springer, Alex Bregman and Jose Altuve long term. The front office just needs to get creative without being impulsive.

Given the type of production a player like Evan Gattis gives you, I’d be opening up the wallet if I were Jim Crane or Jeff Luhnow. Above average numbers plus a fan favorite equals the recipe for a franchise player! Not to mention, the bear could use a permanent home right about now.