Jose Altuve, Astros Ink Five-Year Extension
Jose Altuve, one of the best second basemen in the MLB, just inked a five-year, 125-million-dollar extension with the Houston Astros. Altuve, an eight-time all-star, two-time batting champion, and 2017 American League MVP, has been one of the most electric players in the league and is one of the biggest parts of the Astros core. Without the help of Altuve, it’s safe to say the Astros would have won two World Series since his debut in 2011, but what does this mean for Altuve and the Astros as a whole going forward? Are they going to get back to the mountain-top and win another championship?
Altuve was set to be a free agent after this season. He is now an Astro for life. His contract has no opt-outs and has an interesting breakdown. His contract is broken up like this- $15 million signing bonus, $30 million in 2025 and 2026, and $10 million in 2028 and 2029. Altuve only making $10 million a year for the final two years of the deal is a steal and gives them room to make a final push for a championship with their star player.
The Astros are consistently one of the top teams in the American League, of course with the help of Altuve. After losing in the ALCS to their division rival Texas Rangers in a thrilling seven-game series, they are going to be hungry to get back to the top. Extending Altuve is obviously a step in the right direction. This extension will most likely go through the end of his career, as he will be 38 when the contract is over. Last season, in just 90 games, the 33-year-old hit .311 with 17 home runs and racked up a 2.8 bWAR, which is staggering for a player who barely played half the season. He is, hopefully, going to be fully healthy in 2024, which makes this Astros roster very scary. They have other established stars including Alex Bregman, Justin Verlander, Jeremy Pena, and newly acquired stud closer Josh Hader. They are also banking on a bounce-back season from Christian Javier.
