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Kendall Graveman is getting a second chance to win a championship with the Houston Astros. After the Astros were defeated in the 2021 World Series, Graveman left Houston for a three-year, $24 million contract with the Chicago White Sox. The White Sox just sent Graveman back to the Astros ahead of the 2023 MLB trade deadline.
Graveman almost re-signed with Houston two years ago, but he left for a better offer in free agency. While Graveman missed the playoffs with the White Sox in 2022, the Astros won the World Series without him.
Graveman said leaving Houston was one of the toughest decisions he's had to make, according to The Athletic's Chandler Rome. The 32-year-old said he was close to staying with the Astros, but he had to “take the deal that was on the table.”
The Seattle Mariners sent Graveman to the Astros ahead of the 2021 trade deadline. The Atlanta Braves went on to defeat Houston in the Fall Classic.
“I know what that locker room felt like after that loss in the World Series,” Graveman said, via MLB.com. “One of the things that’s really special about that group is the hunger and the desire to always continue to win. I know how hard that can be. When you play so long in the postseason every year, to repeat it, there’s a lot of mental fortitude that comes along with that. It’s no secret the guys that have been there and had shorter offseasons than everybody else for the past five or six years, and they continue to put their best foot forward and try to win. That’s special.”
On their way to defeating the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2022 World Series, the Astros reached their sixth straight ALCS. Houston is behind the Texas Rangers in the AL West, but the defending champs remain a real threat to win yet another pennant.
Graveman has a 3.48 ERA in 44 innings this season.
