Jeremy Pena

Contract Value Index (CVI)

Payroll math on Jeremy Peña's contract works out to a A Contract Value Index given term, opt-outs, and aging curve. At $9.475M AAV on a one-year deal, he earns an elite grade because the shortstop market commands premium dollars for franchise-caliber talent, and Peña's A− performance profile — anchored by a Gold Glove, ALCS MVP, and World Series MVP all earned in 2022 — justifies the investment when healthy. The contract itself carries zero long-term risk; a single year eliminates any albatross concern and provides the Astros full flexibility heading into the offseason. The real friction isn't the dollars or the structure — it's the narrative wrapping around him right now. Peña's right knee injury and subsequent IL stint have collided with Houston's seven-game losing streak and a 22-31 record that sits the team at the #12 seed in the AL West, creating a perfect storm of roster uncertainty compounded by questions about his return timeline and positional redundancy with Isaac Paredes. Until he returns to the field and the Astros stabilize, sentiment around this deal will remain clouded despite the contract itself being a sound, market-appropriate commitment for a proven shortstop.