Astros tender contracts to seven arbitration-eligible players

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The Astros' seven remaining arbitration-eligible players who were tendered contracts before Friday's 7 p.m. deadline should account for about $30 million on the team's 2017 payroll.

Dallas Keuchel will command the biggest chunk of the group. MLBTradeRumors.com's projection system predicts the ace lefthander will make $9.5 million via the second of his three go-arounds in the arbitration process.

Outfielder George Springer and starting pitchers Collin McHugh and Mike Fiers are due big raises via their first time through the arbitration process. Springer is projected to make $4.7 million while the two righthanders are projected to land $4.6 million and $4.3 million, respectively.

Super utility man Marwin Gonzalez ($3.6 million projection), reliever Will Harris ($2.5 million), and outfielder Jake Marisnick ($1.1 million) are the Astros' other three arbitration eligible players. The team struck a below-market value, one-year deal worth $5.5 million with outfielder Nori Aoki on Wednesday to avoid arbitration.

The seven salaries through the arbitration process will be on top of the roughly $75 million the Astros have committed to their 2017 payroll for their 10 players signed to multi-million dollar deals, including $2 million to Jon Singleton, who was recently removed from their 40-man roster.

The last year the Astros' opening day payroll exceeded $100 million was 2009, two years before Jim Crane's ownership group purchased the team from Drayton McLane.