The Houston Astros have some decisions to make this offseason when it comes to the starting rotation and the bullpen. Framber Valdez is likely gone in free agency, and the other top target, Dylan Cease, signed with the Toronto Blue Jays earlier this week.
Just how the Astros go about rounding out their rotation behind Hunter Brown remains to be seen. One player who is unlikely to be an option is right-handed pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. He worked out of the bullpen at the end of this past season and is likely to start there again.
The problem with McCullers has been his injury history over the last couple of years and more so since he signed his current contract, which he’ll enter his final year in when 2026 begins. Still, the contract is one that is not a great one for Houston, and Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report listed it as one of the top 10 worst contracts for next season.
Lance McCullers Jr. Contract Ranked Among Five Worst in 2026
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When the 2026 season starts for Houston, McCullers Jr will be in the fifth and final year of his contract that has a total value of $85 million.
“The only time the deal aged well was during the 2021 season, when he made 28 starts and posted a 3.16 ERA with 185 strikeouts over 162.1 innings. Had he reached free agency after that year, he surely would have been in line for a lot more than $85 million,” Rymer wrote.
In 2025, McCullers Jr worked in 16 games, 13 starts, with a 6.51 ERA in 55.1 innings pitched. What was concerning was that 10 of the 15 hits he allowed were home runs. He also struggled with his control, with 39 walks and just 61 strikeouts.
He didn’t return until early May after he had his 2022 season cut short with elbow pain, and he then missed the 2023 and 2024 seasons. At the end of August, he made a move to the bullpen for the rest of the season for Houston.
What makes this a difficult contract for the Astros is that with all the questions they have surrounding their rotation, they could really use him as a starter. Before his injuries, this was a great deal for Houston as he would have been a key part of their starting rotation during their championship window, but after the injuries and his struggles in 2025, this is a contract that is tough to have on the books.
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