Astros re-sign outfielder Brantley

*Photo from the Houston Chronicle*

   It was a good match, and it's continuing for another year. The Houston Astros and OF Michael Brantley have agreed to a one year, $12 million deal, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The Astros have confirmed.

   The contract for Brantley includes another $4 million in bonuses that can push it to $16 million for the 2023 season. He is coming off a lost 2022 season, limited to just 64 games before undergoing season ending arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder. As such, he missed out on the Astros run to the World Series title in 2022.

   The 2021 season was the last full season for Brantley, earning an all star game appearance. Brantley posted a .311 batting average, .362 on base percentage, and .799 OPS, adding 8 home runs and 47 RBI's in 121 games. He had 9 RBI's in 16 games in the postseason that year.

   Brantley has a reputation as one of the better contact hitters in the game, with a .298 career batting average. He was chosen in the 7th round of the 2005 MLB Draft by the Milwaukee Brewers, being traded to Cleveland in exchange for CC Sabathia in 2008 before debuting in 2009.

   Since debuting in 2009, Brantley has played in 14 seasons, split between the then Indians and the Astros. Aside from his .298 average, he has a .356 on base percentage and .439 slugging percentage, hitting 127 home runs and 713 RBI's in 1,430 games, making 5 all star games. Brantley has a .296 batting average with 4 home runs and 25 RBI's in 54 career postseason games.

   The 2014 season signaled Brantley's breakout. He hit .327 with 20 home runs and 97 RBI's to go with a .890 OPS in 156 games, making his first all star game. That season resulted in a 3rd place finish in the AL MVP voting. He made 3 straight all star games from 2017-2019 and first joined the Astros in the 2019 season.

   Brantley will rejoin a Astros lineup in 2023 that still features Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez, Alex Bregman, Kyle Tucker, and Jeremy Pena, with Jose Abreu being added to replace Yuli Gurriel earlier in the offseason.