Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena (3) is congratulated by left fielder Jose Altuve (27) after the final out against the Cincinnati Reds during the ninth inning at Daikin Park. Now, further details have emerged that Pena, likely in conjunction with the hiring of Boras, chose to put those contract talks on hold.

The rising temperatures also line up with another likely contract standoff between the Astros' front office and one of the franchise's stars. No, the chatter about Jeremy Peña's contract status isn't as intense or urgent as Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker's stalled negotiations last season.