It's been known that the Houston Astros under owner Jim Crane haven't been the team to give out long term massive contracts for some of their star players over of the years. Houston hasn't been able to retain as many of their big names due to some of the huge numbers they've commanded during the offseason.

The Astros were able to work it out and get an extension with Yordan Alvarez done a while back in June 2022, which now looks like a bargain. They also made Jose Altuve an Astro for life. However, the Astros weren't able to come to an agreement with players like Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa when he initially left and Kyle Tucker leading up to their free agency period.

The conundrum now arises once again, this time with star shortstop Jeremy Peña. He's set to be a free agent after the 2027 season, and talks of an extension with Peña have been a key topic. Given how valuable he's been to the Astros over the recent years, it would obviously make sense to keep him long-term.

However, Peña is one of the best in baseball at a premium position and would likely command huge contract offers as a free agent. If Houston isn't willing to go all-out for Peña, then it may have to resort to something it did in the past with Tucker.

Peña's Astros Future in Jeopardy

If the 2027 season happens, it could be Peña's last in Houston. It was reported by Bob Nightengale of USA Today on Monday that contract extension talks have now ended between both parties. During the 2025 season, there was a lot of discussion about making an extension with Peña happen.

Per Nightengale, Peña was close to signing a five-year extension with the Astros in 2025, but after he switched agents to Scott Boras, those talks haven't been successful. It's a similar cycle to what other high-profile Astros players who were set to become free agents have gone through.

Now, the Astros will reportedly listen to all trade offers regarding Peña this offseason as they did with Tucker two years ago according to Nightengale. It was also reported that the final decision that Houston and new general manager Randy Flores will make could be based on whether qualifying offers will exist in the new collective bargaining agreement so the Astros could gain a new draft pick when he leaves.

The Tucker trade has worked out quite well for the Astros, who got an exciting young talent in Cam Smith, who's now in right field, as well as a starter in Hayden Wesneski and productive third baseman in Isaac Paredes.

A return for Peña could be big, and the Astros can easily move Correa over to his original position of shortstop and keep Paredes at third base. A successful trade could help them add more pieces to areas that need help, such as the outfield or pitching.

Given the fact that a contract extension could very well be off the table, a trade might be the best option left. Peña, formerly a third round pick in 2018, burst onto the scene in 2022 and replaced Correa at shortstop. It was a dream rookie season as Peña was the 2022 World Series MVP and also won a gold glove.

Peña has had an above .800 OPS over the last two seasons and has been a star in the lineup. He's a huge factor in the Astros' success. This would be a tough separation unless an extension can miraculously come to fruition.