Jose Altuve will be staying in Houston for a while longer.
The Astros locked up their franchise second baseman to a five-year extension Tuesday. The contract, valued at $125 million, reaffirms Altuve’s status as one of MLB’s most skilled players at his position.
The 33-year-old put together another impressive campaign in 2023, posting .311/.393/.522 splits in 90 games for the AL West-winning Astros. Altuve found success even in an injury-riddled campaign, one that started with a broken thumb during the preseason World Baseball Classic.
Altuve has been a model of consistency since arriving in the Bayou City back in 2011. His new deal, which nets him $25 million in average annual value (AAV), reflects that.
Altuve’s contract — which will run until he’s 38 — is heavily front-loaded, with Altuve set to receive $30 million per year during the first three seasons of the deal and just $10 million over the final two years, per The Athletic’s Chandler Rome. The contract also includes a $15 million signing bonus.
The Astros announced the extension with a post proclaiming Altuve an “Astro for Life.”
Jose Altuve contract details
The Astros and Altuve agreed terms to a five-year, $125 million extension Tuesday.
— Houston Astros (@astros) February 6, 2024
The deal represents an impressive sum for a player of Altuve’s age and profile. It is the second-largest deal in franchise history, only exceeded by the extension Altuve inked back in 2018.
With Tuesday’s announcement, the Astros ensured that Altuve — one of the franchise’s greatest talents — won’t be hitting the free agency market any time soon, if ever. Altuve’s contract was set to expire after the 2024 season.
Altuve’s latest deal features a bit of clever accounting on Houston’s part. While he will net an AAV of $25 million (the third-highest total among MLB second basemen), his contract will dwindle as the years roll on.
- 2025 salary: $30 million
- 2026 salary: $30 million
- 2027 salary: $30 million
- 2028 salary: $10 million
- 2029 salary: $10 million
Altuve is the longest-tenured member of Houston’s roster and is among the franchise’s most accomplished players.
Since starting his MLB career with Houston in 2011, he has accumulated eight All-Star nods, three batting titles, six Silver Sluggers and three top-five MVP finishes. He’s also a two-time World Series champion, capturing AL MVP honors on that infamous 2017 Houston team that was subsequently punished for sign stealing.
Despite the controversy surrounding aspects of his legacy, Altuve is undoubtedly one of the greatest to play his position. The second baseman has a 129 career OPS+, better than Hall of Famers Charlie Gehringer, Joe Gordon and Roberto Alomar. If he’s able to keep his production going, he stands a good chance at a spot in Cooperstown.
But first, he’ll get another chance to shine at Minute Maid Park. Was there ever any doubt he would?