The Houston Astros have finally found a new answer at first base. But their nightmare contract with a former MVP first baseman remains their worst mistake over the last few years.
David Schoenfield of ESPN recently put together a ranked list of each team’s worst mistake since the 2020 season.
The Astros finished at No. 25 with their blunder being Jose Abreu’s three-year, $58.5 million deal ahead of the 2023 season. It wasn’t nearly as deadly of a gaffe as other teams made in that time frame, but it was a massive loss for Houston.
Abreu was aging when they signed him, but he had posted a .287/.350/.502 slash line with two-All Stars and an MVP from his age 30 campaign and beyond.
It was not going to be a huge shock when his play fell off, but it wasn’t expected to get as bad as quickly as it did.
His 2023 was bad by his standard with a .237/.296/.383 slash line, but he had 18 home runs and 90 RBI so the power numbers made it tolerable.
Then, 2024 came with even more regression and it become too much for the Astros to handle. The Astros even got him to agree to go back to the minors to find his swing, but even that failed.
He had a .124/.167/.195 slash line with two home runs before he was eventually released. Houston decided to eat the more than $30 million that they owed Abreu, which comes off the books after the end of the upcoming season.
He hasn’t officially retired, he remains unsigned and it would be a shock to see him join a new team.
The failure of that signing not only hurt Houston financially, but it handicapped them at first base for the last two years.
In 2024, the first base spot in the batting order produced just a .226/.291/.360 slash line. That was by fair the worst position on the infield, and only slightly better than center field for the worst on the team.
Abreu and Jon Singleton manned that positon for the most part, but the additional players used there also struggled.
Yainer Diaz had the best results, but he is currently their franchise answer at catcher.
The Astros were much more aggressive in figuring out an answer there this offseason, signing another veteran slugger in Christian Walker.
The point has been raised by some that Walker is also getting up there in age, but he is still two years younger than Abreu was in his first year with the team.
Regression is always a risk with older players, but he looks like a much better option on paper.
