The Houston Astros have made a massive move on Wednesday, coming to terms with star pitcher Lance McCullers on a head-turning five-year extension.
Leave it to the Houston Astros to steal the show on Wednesday with some massive contract news for one of their best starting hurlers. Lance McCullers has been outstanding for the organization over the years and they just rewarded him in a big way.
According to MLB insider Ken Rosenthal, the Astros and the veteran righty have come to an agreement on a five-year, $85 million extension. Now, McCullers is tied to Houston for the next six seasons.
Lance McCullers just received an $85 million extension from the Houston Astros
Talk about a big move by the Astros. McCullers is getting ready to begin his sixth season in the majors, all coming with Houston. Last season, the righty made 11 starts, going 3-3 and posting a 3.93 ERA. This came after he unfortunately had to miss the 2019 campaign after undergoing Tommy John Surgery.
The year before in 2018, McCullers made 22 starts and posted a 10-6 record. He finished the season with a 3.86 ERA and 142 strikeouts. Looking ahead to 2021, McCullers is a crucial part of the Houston rotation and will play a big part in the team potentially getting back to the World Series.
During the shortened MLB campaign this past year, Houston advanced to the ALCS, but suffered a heartbreaking loss to the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 7, preventing them from trying to get a ring. Houston won its first ever World Series back in 2017, the same year where McCullers went 7-4 and played in the All-Star Game.
With the team holding high expectations for this spring and summer, McCullers will now have the added pressure of living up to his new contract. Something tells us he won’t have any issues doing that.