(SportsRadio 610) -- Like every other business and sports organization that had to suspend activity because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Astros are losing money.
Team owner Jim Crane said in a video conference Tuesday the losses are significant, "tens of millions" of dollars.
MLB team owners desperately want fans back in stadiums, since it is the only way to counter their losses. They want to sell tickets, merchandise, cold beer or whatever you'll buy at the stadium.
"We've drawn well in the last few years. It's north of 50 (percent of team revenue)," Crane said. "There's really only five numbers -- the sponsorships, local TV money, gate and seats. merchandising and concessions, and then we have the central fund money that we all split up, which is mostly national TV money. So our only revenue is some of the central fund money, when they start playing games. You only get paid for games you play. And then our regional sport network money for the games we play. So revenues are going to be way down, way way down. You could probably just take the number of games, divide it by the revenues of previous years, and that's the revenue number and then the cost is still there.
The losses could even impact next year and how Crane decides to invest in the team.
But Crane said because the Astros have done so well financially over the last few years, they should still be competitive in free agency.
"We're in a position to be aggressive, whatever the market looks like," Crane said.
The entire outfield -- Michael Brantley, Josh Reddick and 2017 World Series MVP George Springer -- could be gone after 2020. First baseman Yuli Gurriel, now 36, will also hit the market after the 2020 season.
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