Dallas Keuchel had a career year with the Houston Astros in 2015, winning the American League Cy Young Award by posting a 2.48 earned run average, a win-loss record of 20-8, never losing at Minute Maid Park, and 216 strikeouts on the year.

As Keuchel heads to arbitration one, the first of three arbitration stages, Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle writes that the Astros are expected to discuss an extension with Keuchel.

From Drellich’s article on the Houston Chronicle:

Not only has the 27-year-old Astros ace won the American League Cy Young, he’s about to receive his first seven-figure salary because he’s arbitration eligible for the first time in his career with three years of big league service time under his belt.

“Absolutely,” Keuchel said when asked if he’s thought of the life-changing money that awaits. “Going from minor league salary to a big league minimum is a huge jump, and (it also is) when you increase your salary to big league minimum and arbitration and past that.

“Steps and chapters in your life and the course of your career in baseball. I think it’s going to help me appreciate the game a little bit more. Because in this game, you’ve put in your time to get where you want to go. You get rewarded, little baby steps. I think it’s going to make me appreciate of what I’ve done and what I want to do.”

Keuchel is scheduled to end arbitration at age 30, so that means it’s very likely that the extension will go past that and then some.

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