Let’s go back to the offseason after the Houston Astros’ second World Series title in 2022.
Beyond the celebration of finally getting another trophy on their mantle after coming so close several times before, there was the thought that they could still make improvements to their roster and go for back-to-back championships.
When they handed 2020 American League MVP Jose Abreu a franchise-record $58.5 million over three years, then a free agent, it was thought this team might truly have no weaknesses.
Not only did they add another power bat to their already prolific lineup, but they replaced their outgoing first baseman, Yuli Gurriel.
Instead, that contract turned out to be an absolute disaster.
He posted the worst production of his career with a .217/.275/.351 line and -1.6 bWAR in just under 1.5 seasons. Following the veteran’s surprising release by the Astros, he will still be owed more than $30 million for not playing for this franchise.
Questions are now being raised about why Houston pursued the aging player who was 35 years old when they signed him.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic He thinks he has the answer.
In 2013, the Astros were unable to sign Abreu when they were short about $4 million on the contract that was ultimately signed by the Chicago White Sox. They had to watch from afar as he became one of the most prolific hitters in the league.
Rosenthal believes that influenced his desire to eventually bring him to Houston when he became a free agent in 2022.
“(Jim) Crane did not respond to a text message asking if the Astros striking out Abreu the first time influenced their pursuit of him a second time. But the possibility cannot be ruled out. This is an owner who signed Josh Hader after that the team parted ways with the reliever and pursued Blake Snell during the offseason after trying to acquire him at last year’s trade deadline… If the move was an overreaction to the team’s initial failure to land him. Abreu is an open question,” he writes.
That’s certainly interesting and would offer an explanation for why the owner decided to hand out the most lucrative free agent contract in franchise history at the time.
It is unknown whether or not Rosenthal’s hypothesis is the real answer.
What is known, however, is that Houston will pay the free agent $30 million until his contract is off the books, and they will have to find another answer at that position behind Jon Singleton as they look to get back into playoff contention.
