Astros deadline takeaways: Jim Crane cements his title as baseball's most aggressive owner
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Few other explanations exist for the Astros' actions across the past nine trade deadlines, overseen by three different general managers who share almost nothing in common. The one thing they do: a boss obsessed with blockbusters and building a baseball team full of players he prefers.
Crane has his critics, some still displeased with his answers during a sign-stealing news conference five years ago, others confused by his cold treatment of James Click following the 2022 World Series and a faction of Houston's fanbase that wonders why he's so averse to long-term deals for departing superstars.
All, however, must acknowledge what a transformative Thursday afternoon laid bare: Crane's commitment to win is never in question. He reacquired one of those homegrown superstars he once allowed to walk and, with it, may have escalated Houston's payroll to a point it has never reached.
Carlos Correa joined Crane's trade deadline lore on Thursday. His company includes Justin Verlander in both 2017 and 2023, Zack Greinke in 2019 and would've included Bryce Harper if not for Washington Nationals ownership nixing an agreed-upon deal during the 2018 deadline.
Crane's influence in all of these deals can't be overstated. Team sources who initially downplayed the possibility of a reunion with Correa did so with an inherent understanding that Crane coveted Correa, the effervescent infielder who left an indelible impact in Houston during the first seven years of his major-league career.
In almost every case, Crane gets what he desires. Thursday turned out no different. Other players perhaps made more logical sense for their roster. Others would've kept Crane below a luxury tax threshold he doesn't love crossing.
But, when the Astros are legitimate contenders for a championship, Crane can change his stance. He awoke on Thursday morning with a team that had 5.6 percent odds to win the World Series, according to FanGraphs. Adding Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suárez surged Seattle's odds past Houston's, even though the Astros have a five-game division lead.
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Crane crafted the sort of response only he can.
Failing to land a pitcher
General manager Dana Brown stuck to his pre-deadline insistence that the team was 'prioritizing the bats.' Outfielder Jesús Sánchez brings balance to a lineup that needs it and an .814 OPS against right-handed pitching. Only the A's have taken more plate appearances against righties than the Astros.
Correa is not the hitter he was while he was in Houston, but still has a low strikeout rate and will raise the floor of a lineup that, in the face of substantial injuries, had grown top-heavy.
Still, Houston ended the deadline without addressing a pitching staff running on fumes. The Astros had serious discussions with the San Diego Padres about starter Dylan Cease and, at times, had momentum toward a deal.
The Padres never traded Cease, nor did the Miami Marlins move Sandy Alcantara, in whom the Astros also had serious interest. Houston scoured the relief market in the deadline's final minutes, but did not have near enough high-end prospect capital to meet the crazy asking prices in the relief market.
All-Star right-hander Hunter Brown and workhorse Framber Valdez will still head the Astros' rotation. Set up, man, Bryan Abreu builds a nice bridge to All-Star closer Josh Hader, but concerns about depth must be present.
The impending returns of Spencer Arrighetti, Cristian Javier, Luis Garcia and J.P. France can offset it, but their efficacy after such long layoffs is a mystery.
What happens after 2025?
Correa is a perfect fit for Houston's current roster. He will play third base in the absence of Isaac Paredes, who is receiving a second opinion on his 'significant' right hamstring strain and isn't likely to play again this season.
Paredes will return next season. Both he and shortstop Jeremy Peña are under club control for two more years. So is first baseman Christian Walker, eliminating any possibility of playing Paredes there.
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Evaluators both inside and outside of the Astros' organization do not believe Paredes can handle second base on an everyday basis. Perhaps a winter's worth of work there could remedy that, but given the significant nature of his hamstring injury, it's worth wondering how normal of an offseason Paredes will have.
Making Paredes serviceable at second base is the most straightforward way to make Correa fit on the Astros' 2026 and 2027 rosters, but another option must be considered: making Peña available in trade talks.
Peña will be due for a substantial raise in his second year of arbitration eligibility. He hired agent Scott Boras to represent him earlier this season after deep extension talks with the Astros with his previous representation. Boras generally prefers his clients to eschew pre-arbitration extensions in favor of free agency.
Trading Kyle Tucker this winter strayed from the Astros' standard operating procedure, but did set the precedent that the Astros will at least explore deals for players they aren't likely to extend in order to supplement a barren farm system. Might Peña be the next domino?
(Top photo of Houston Astros owner Jim Crane: Tim Warner/ Getty Images)
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AvidXchange Announces Second-Quarter 2025 Financial Results
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GAAP gross profit was $73.6 million, or 66.6% of total revenue, compared with $68.7 million, or 65.3% of revenue in the second quarter of 2024. Non-GAAP gross profit was $81.6 million, or 73.8% of total revenue, compared with $76.3 million, or 72.6% of revenue in the second quarter of 2024. Adjusted EBITDA was $17.4 million compared with $17.5 million in the second quarter of 2024. A reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP financial measures has been provided in the tables following the financial statements in this press release. An explanation of these measures is also included below under the heading "Non-GAAP Measures and Other Performance Metrics." Second Quarter 2025 Key Business Metrics and Highlights: Total transactions processed in the second quarter of 2025 were 20.1 million, an increase of 1.8% from 19.7 million in the second quarter of 2024. Total payment volume in the second quarter of 2025 was $21.5 billion, an increase of 4.1% from $20.6 billion in the second quarter of 2024. Transaction yield in the second quarter of 2025 was $5.50, an increase of 3.2% from $5.33 in the second quarter of 2024. Financial Outlook & Earnings TeleconferenceAs disclosed previously, due to its pending acquisition by TPG in partnership with Corpay, AvidXchange has suspended its previously issued financial outlook for fiscal 2025 and will not hold a teleconference to discuss its second quarter 2025 financial results. About AvidXchange™AvidXchange is a leading provider of accounts payable ('AP') automation software and payment solutions for middle market businesses and their suppliers. AvidXchange's software-as-a-service-based, end-to-end software and payment platform digitizes and automates the AP workflows for more than 8,500 businesses and it has made payments to more than 1,350,000 supplier customers of its buyers over the past five years. To learn more about how AvidXchange is transforming the way companies pay their bills, visit Forward-Looking StatementsCertain statements made in this press release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the 'safe harbor' provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any express or implied statements contained in this press release that are not statements of historical fact and generally relate to future events, hopes, intentions, strategies, or performance may be deemed to be forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding AvidXchange's pending acquisition by TPG in partnership with Corpay. These forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and beliefs as of the date they are made. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause AvidXchange's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including the risks discussed in AvidXchange's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ('SEC'), including AvidXchange's Annual Report on Form 10-K and other documents filed with the SEC, which may be obtained on the investor relations section of our website ( and on the SEC website at AvidXchange undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of future events, new information or otherwise, except as required by law. Non-GAAP Measures and Other Performance MetricsTo supplement the financial measures presented in our press release in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States ('GAAP'), we also present the following non-GAAP measures of financial performance: Non-GAAP Gross Profit, Non-GAAP Gross Margin, Adjusted EBITDA, Non-GAAP Net Income (Loss) and Non-GAAP Earnings Per Share. A 'non-GAAP financial measure' refers to a numerical measure of our historical or future financial performance or financial position that is included in (or excluded from) the most directly comparable measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP in our financial statements. We provide certain non-GAAP measures as additional information relating to our operating results as a complement to results provided in accordance with GAAP. The non-GAAP financial information presented herein should be considered in conjunction with, and not as a substitute for or superior to, the financial information presented in accordance with GAAP and should not be considered a measure of liquidity. There are significant limitations associated with the use of non-GAAP financial measures. Further, these measures may differ from the non-GAAP information, even where similarly titled, used by other companies and therefore should not be used to compare our performance to that of other companies. We have presented Non-GAAP Gross Profit, Adjusted EBITDA, Non-GAAP Net Income (Loss) and Non-GAAP Earnings Per Share in this press release. We define Non-GAAP Gross Profit & Gross Margin as revenue less cost of revenue excluding the portion of depreciation and amortization and stock-based compensation expense allocated to cost of revenues. We define Adjusted EBITDA as our net loss before depreciation and amortization, impairment and write-off of intangible assets, interest income and expense, income tax expense (benefit), stock-based compensation expense, transaction and acquisition-related costs expensed, change in fair value of derivative instrument, non-recurring items not indicative of ongoing operations, and charitable contributions of common stock. We define Non-GAAP Net Income (Loss) as net loss before amortization of acquired intangible assets, impairment and write-off of intangible assets, stock-based compensation expense, transaction and acquisition-related costs expensed, change in fair value of derivative instrument, non-recurring items not indicative of ongoing operations, acquisition-related effects on income tax, and charitable contributions of common stock. Non-GAAP income tax expense is calculated using our blended statutory rate except in periods of non-GAAP net loss when it is based on our GAAP income tax expense. In each case, non-GAAP income tax expense excludes the effects of acquisitions in the period on tax expense. We define Non-GAAP Earnings per Share as Non-GAAP Net Income (Loss) per diluted share. We believe the use of non-GAAP financial measures, as a supplement to GAAP measures, is useful to investors in that they eliminate items that are either not part of our core operations or do not require a cash outlay, such as stock-based compensation expense. Management uses these non-GAAP financial measures when evaluating operating performance and for internal planning and forecasting purposes. We believe that these non-GAAP financial measures help indicate underlying trends in the business, are important in comparing current results with prior period results and are useful to investors and financial analysts in assessing operating performance. Availability of Information on AvidXchange's WebsiteInvestors and others should note that AvidXchange routinely announces material information to investors and the marketplace using SEC filings, press releases, public conference calls, webcasts, and the Investor Relations section of AvidXchange's website. While not all information that AvidXchange posts to the Investor Relations website is of a material nature, some information could be deemed to be material. Accordingly, AvidXchange encourages investors, the media and others interested in AvidXchange to review the information that it shares at the Investor Relations link located at Users may automatically receive email alerts and other information about AvidXchange when enrolling an email address by visiting 'Email Alerts' in the 'Resources' section of AvidXchange's Investor Relations website Investor Contact: Subhaash KumarSkumar1@ Holdings, Statements of Operations(in thousands, except share and per share data) Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2025 2024 2025 2024 Revenues $ 110,570 $ 105,132 $ 218,512 $ 210,730 Cost of revenues (exclusive of depreciation and amortization expense) 30,949 30,426 61,738 60,759 Operating expenses Sales and marketing 23,068 19,956 45,579 39,697 Research and development 26,975 25,008 52,357 50,912 General and administrative 33,510 22,635 62,458 46,895 Impairment and write-off of intangible assets - - - 162 Depreciation and amortization 8,479 9,208 17,148 18,515 Total operating expenses 92,032 76,807 177,542 156,181 Loss from operations (12,411 ) (2,101 ) (20,768 ) (6,210 ) Other income (expense) Interest income 4,480 5,979 8,621 12,541 Interest expense (2,010 ) (3,323 ) (4,016 ) (6,660 ) Other income 2,470 2,656 4,605 5,881 (Loss) income before income taxes (9,941 ) 555 (16,163 ) (329 ) Income tax (benefit) expense (477 ) 119 612 244 Net (loss) income $ (9,464 ) $ 436 $ (16,775 ) $ (573 ) Net (loss) income per share attributable to common stockholders, basic and diluted Basic $ (0.05 ) $ 0.00 $ (0.08 ) $ 0.00 Diluted $ (0.05 ) $ 0.00 $ (0.08 ) $ 0.00 Weighted average number of common shares used to compute net loss per share attributable to common stockholders, basic and diluted Basic 206,933,045 207,025,967 205,982,206 205,961,720 Diluted 206,933,045 210,370,559 205,982,206 205,961,720 AvidXchange Holdings, Balance Sheets(in thousands, except share and per share data) As of June 30, As of December 31, 2025 2024 Assets Current assets Cash and cash equivalents $ 335,773 $ 355,637 Restricted funds held for customers 1,148,195 1,250,346 Marketable securities 71,461 33,663 Accounts receivable, net of allowances of $4,362 and $4,279, respectively 50,988 51,671 Supplier advances receivable, net of allowances of $2,024 and $1,644 respectively 18,035 14,080 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 15,503 15,317 Total current assets 1,639,955 1,720,714 Property and equipment, net 96,632 97,592 Deferred customer origination costs, net 29,005 28,119 Goodwill 165,921 165,921 Intangible assets, net 65,235 71,068 Other noncurrent assets and deposits 7,087 6,297 Total assets $ 2,003,835 $ 2,089,711 Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity Current liabilities Accounts payable $ 20,482 $ 15,494 Accrued expenses 45,094 46,849 Payment service obligations 1,148,195 1,250,346 Deferred revenue 12,747 13,967 Current maturities of lease obligations under finance leases 36 103 Current maturities of lease obligations under operating leases 663 1,207 Current maturities of long-term debt 4,800 4,800 Total current liabilities 1,232,017 1,332,766 Long-term liabilities Deferred revenue, less current portion 10,640 11,856 Obligations under finance leases, less current maturities 63,342 63,025 Obligations under operating leases, less current maturities 1,655 1,969 Long-term debt 4,300 4,300 Other long-term liabilities 4,331 3,962 Total liabilities 1,316,285 1,417,878 Commitments and contingencies Stockholders' equity Preferred stock, $0.001 par value; 50,000,000 shares authorized, no shares issued and outstanding as of June 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024 - 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Prepaid expenses and other current assets (186 ) (2,481 ) Other noncurrent assets (980 ) (839 ) Deferred customer origination costs (887 ) (142 ) Accounts payable 4,988 (1,378 ) Deferred revenue (2,436 ) (2,735 ) Accrued expenses and other liabilities (1,631 ) (11,388 ) Operating lease liabilities (686 ) (323 ) Total adjustments 47,381 19,501 Net cash provided by operating activities 30,606 18,928 Cash flows from investing activities Purchase of marketable securities held to maturity (65,329 ) (98,996 ) Proceeds from maturity of marketable securities held to maturity 28,117 55,996 Purchases of equipment (1,324 ) (1,100 ) Purchases of intangible assets (9,034 ) (8,087 ) Supplier advances, net (5,431 ) (4,092 ) Net cash used in investing activities (53,001 ) (56,279 ) Cash flows from financing activities Repayments of long-term debt - (813 ) Principal payments on finance leases (81 ) (150 ) Proceeds from issuance of common stock 1,474 5,393 Proceeds from issuance of common stock under ESPP 1,447 1,220 Remittance of taxes upon vesting of restricted stock units (209 ) - Payment of acquisition-related liability (100 ) (100 ) Payment service obligations (102,151 ) (385,201 ) Net cash used in financing activities (99,620 ) (379,651 ) Net decrease in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted funds held for customers (122,015 ) (417,002 ) Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted funds held for customers Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted funds held for customers, beginning of year 1,605,983 1,985,630 Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted funds held for customers, end of period $ 1,483,968 $ 1,568,628 Supplementary information of noncash investing and financing activities Property and equipment purchases in accounts payable and accrued expenses $ - $ 19 Interest paid on notes payable - 2,673 Interest paid on finance leases 3,000 2,954 Cash paid for income taxes 369 254 AvidXchange Holdings, of GAAP to Non-GAAP Measures Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, Reconciliation of Revenue to Non-GAAP Gross Profit and Non-GAAP Gross Margin 2025 2024 2025 2024 (in thousands) Total revenues $ 110,570 $ 105,132 $ 218,512 $ 210,730 Expenses: Cost of revenues (exclusive of depreciation and amortization expense) (30,949 ) (30,426 ) (61,738 ) (60,759 ) Depreciation and amortization expense (5,977 ) (6,034 ) (12,106 ) (12,098 ) GAAP Gross profit $ 73,644 $ 68,672 $ 144,668 $ 137,873 Adjustments: Stock-based compensation expense 1,996 1,625 3,980 2,857 Depreciation and amortization expense 5,977 6,034 12,106 12,098 Non-GAAP gross profit $ 81,617 $ 76,331 $ 160,754 $ 152,828 GAAP Gross margin 66.6 % 65.3 % 66.2 % 65.4 % Non-GAAP gross margin 73.8 % 72.6 % 73.6 % 72.5 %AvidXchange Holdings, of GAAP to Non-GAAP Measures (Continued) Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, Reconciliation of Net Income (Loss) to Non-GAAP Net Income (Loss), including per share amounts 2025 2024 2025 2024 (in thousands, except share and per share data) Net income (loss) $ (9,464 ) $ 436 $ (16,775 ) $ (573 ) Exclude: Provision for income taxes (477 ) 119 612 244 Income (loss) before taxes (9,941 ) 555 (16,163 ) (329 ) Amortization of acquired intangible assets 2,859 3,414 5,744 6,827 Impairment and write-off of intangible assets - 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Non-recurring items not indicative of ongoing operations(2) (195 ) (1,976 ) 528 (630 ) Adjusted EBITDA $ 17,407 $ 17,450 $ 34,924 $ 35,115 (1) For the three and six months ended June 30, 2025, this amount consists of transaction and deal costs incurred in connection with the proposed plan of merger announced on May 6, 2025 described in our unaudited consolidated financial statements. (2) For the three months ended June 30, 2025, this amount includes a $172 gain on lease buyout. For the three months ended June 30, 2024, this amount was primarily comprised of an insurance recovery of $2,110 for costs incurred in response to the cybersecurity incident that was detected in April 2023. For the six months ended June 30, 2025, this amount includes $618 in restructuring costs and a $172 gain on lease buyout. For the six months ended June 30, 2024 this amount includes $1,157 of severance costs and a net benefit of $1,808 of response costs incurred in connection with the cybersecurity incident. (3) Non-GAAP income tax expense is based on the Company's blended tax rate of 24.9% in periods the Company has Non-GAAP income before tax. In periods the Company is in a non-GAAP loss position, tax expense is based on GAAP tax expense.
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