Jose Abreu was having such a bad season that the Houston Astros sent him down minors to try to work out the kinks. While he got another shot at the major leagues, the Astros have seen enough.
Houston has released Abreu, the team announced. The move came despite the first baseman still being owed $30 million on his contract. But with Houston's expectations and Abreu's overall performance, the general manager Dana Brown and Astros felt it was time to move on, via Brian McTaggart of MLB.com.
“We've been talking about it over the last week or so. Ultimately, Abreu is an outstanding human being, has an outstanding career. We tried different things to get him going, like sending him down. As we talked through the process this week, we felt like it was time to make a change.
Abreu signed a three-year, $58.5 million contract with the Astros heading into the 2023 season. His first season with the team saw his batting average drop to a worrying .234. However, Abreu still mashed 18 home runs and 90 RBI, both higher than his output in the final year of his Chicago White Sox tenure. Houston won the AL West and advanced all the way to the ALCS.
The 2024 campaign has been an entirely different story for both Abreu and the Astros. Houston is just 31-38 and sits eight games behind the first-place Seattle Mariners in the West. Prior to his release, Abreu was hitting .124 with two home runs and seven RBI. Not only did his batting average drop to a new career-low, but Abreu's signature power has been nowhere to be found.
Despite the current hole they're in, the Astros still have playoff aspirations. It'll cost them $30 million, but Houston preferred the other players they have available rather than continuing rolling with Abreu.
The former MVP was expected to be a powerful addition once he joined the team. But in the second year of a three-year contract, Jose Abreu is now leaving Houston.
Astros' first base options outside of Jose Abreu
With Abreu now gone, the Astros must decide their plan going forward at first base. With the former White Sox spending time in the minors leagues during his struggles, Houston has gotten a jump start on how to replace him.
Jon Singleton has earned three more starts than Abreu in 2024, despite the latter's bloated contract. In that time he has hit .213 with five home runs and 14 RBI. Singleton's numbers certainly don't jump off the page. But for Houston to release Abreu, they must trust that he can handle an even larger workload.
The only other players seeing time at first base for the Astros in 2024 are Mauricio Dubon and Victor Caratini. Perhaps Houston will look to mix-and-match options until they get the perfect fit.
The Astros could also look outside the organization for first base help. Pete Alonso of the New York Mets would be the most obvious addition, but he is set to be a free agent after the year. Houston may not be willing to trade away high prospect capital for a rental, especially when they aren't leading their division. Still, even if Alonso isn't the answer, there will be plenty of sluggers available at the trade deadline.
Releasing Jose Abreu was a massive decision for the Astros. His numbers made it inevitable, but his contract also seemed like it would afford him a long leash. Houston decided to focus on winning and will re-shuffle the first base position while taking on a hefty tab. Abreu will try to get another opportunity elsewhere in MLB.
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