Upon reflection, Jose Altuve and the Houston Astros’ mini-dynasty arguably thrived in part because they lacked dead weight.
Even after the Astros’ initial title in 2017, we never saw ownership handing out eight-year contracts in free agency. Ownership understood that landing older but affordable players, such as Zack Greinke or Michael Brantley, made far more sense.
Fast forward to the present, and the 77-76 Astros are barely above ground in more ways than one. Houston entered the weekend with a one-game AL West lead over the Rangers, and the Astros own the 9-4 season-series tiebreaker.Â
Yordan Alvarez’s MVP-caliber season makes it easy to forget about Altuve, who at 36 has regressed into a waste of a roster spot.  Â
The Houston Astros must be regretting Jose Altuve’s contract extension
Considering that Altuve’s 2011 debut came when Houston still played in the National League, we’d likely all agree it’d be strange to see him playing elsewhere. Even without an official captain title, the nine-time All-Star is to the Astros what Derek Jeter was to the Yankees.Â
So in theory, we understand why the Astros extended Altuve in February 2024. They wanted to potentially keep one of the greatest players in franchise history — his 53.3 bWAR trails only Jeff Bagwell (79.9) and Craig Biggio (65.5) — through the end of his career.Â
But the five-year, $125 million deal confused us at the time, too. Altuve was entering his age-34 season, and he already had 10-and-5 rights. There was significant risk in giving that much money to an aging player capable of refusing any possible salary dump.Â
Altuve has provided the Astros with -0.1 bWAR and a .696 OPS in over 530 plate appearances this year. He’s hit just .255 since the start of last year, dropping his lifetime average from .306 to .300 — and yes, we know that batting averages don’t mean what they once did, but a .300 career average remains an incredible feat.Â
Mickey Mantle infamously finished with a .298 lifetime average, a fact that haunted him for years. Alex Rodriguez’s injuries and aging dropped him to .295, though his Hall of Fame chances effectively ended following his role in the Biogenesis scandal.Â
The Astros can’t make Altuve a full-time DH, either. Alvarez rarely plays the field and is under contract through 2028. Barring injury, you’re likely looking at Altuve manning second base on Opening Day 2027.Â
Or…
Could the Houston Astros realistically trade Jose Altuve this winter?
The only way we envision Altuve wearing someone else’s uniform next spring is if he demanded a trade. Otherwise, his 10-and-5 rights give him the freedom to refuse to join the Rockies, Angels, or another team seemingly destined for yearly 90-loss seasons.Â
Even then, Houston would likely need to eat some of Altuve’s contract. Why would any team want to be on the hook for three years and $75 million to someone who is a below-league-average player?
Altuve had not requested a trade as of publication, nor have the Astros been credibly linked to rumors involving the likely future Hall of Famer. All sides will likely maintain the status quo, which isn't exactly encouraging.Â
Sports are funny like that, aren’t they? Altuve was at his best when the Astros could build around him, but he’s become the dead weight they’d long avoided. Tough luck.
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