The Houston Astros are losing Framber Valdez in free agency this winter, but fortunately, other than the additions of Mike Burrows and Tatsuya Imai, the Astros have an ace on staff.
Hunter Brown, the young right-hander who broke out in a major way this past season, is going to be around for a while longer. But, before the 2026 season can get underway, the Astros and Brown needed to agree to a contract.
According to Chandler Rome of The Athletic, the Astros and Brown have come to terms on his first year of arbitration, as the Cy Young finalist is officially set to be on the books for $5.71 million in 2026.
Astros’ Hunter Brown gets $5.71M contract update
“The Astros and right-hander Hunter Brown agreed to a $5.71 million salary, avoiding arbitration, source tells @The_Athletic,” Rome reports.
Brown is 27 years old and is coming off his best season in the Major Leagues by a wide margin. After two full seasons with the Astros, Brown broke out in a big way.
Across 31 starts, he had a 2.43 ERA with a 12-9 record, one complete game, 206 strikeouts, a WHIP of 1.025, an ERA+ of 172, and 17 home runs allowed in 185.1 innings pitched.
Overall, Brown’s 2025 season was impressive enough to earn him an All-Star nod, 6.1 bWAR, and most impressively, a third-place finish in the American League Cy Young voting.
Houston might be losing Valdez to free agency, but their best pitcher is going nowhere. Brown has what it takes to be an ace in the Major Leagues, and he can be much more than a one-year wonder.
The righty starter is under club control through 2028, making this $5.71 million contract the first of his three years of arbitration. It will get expensive at the end, but for now, $5.71 million is a steal for Brown.
