Astros fans should be done with Jose Altuve’s contract picks after Alex Bregman flop

Jose Altuve is a loyal teammate, but perhaps the Houston Astros' star should quit sticking his nose into the affairs of the front office. During the team's pregame conversation with the media on Monday, Altuve went to bat for Jeremy Peña, and there's no doubt that Dana Brown and the Astros' front office took notice.

"He’s going to become a superstar," Altuve said. "He’s a very valuable player for us. I’m very surprised (they haven’t) signed him to a long-term deal with the Astros. He’s a guy you really want on your team for a long time."

Peña is no doubt ready to run through a wall for Altuve after hearing that. In fact, the Astros shortstop was made aware of Altuve's comments and credited his teammate for his leadership and was appreciative of the kind words. But after the Alex Bregman debacle last offseason, perhaps Altuve should stop trying to negotiate contracts for his teammates through the media.

Astros fans should be done with Jose Altuve’s contract picks after Alex Bregman flop

Astros fans will remember last October when Altuve was advocating for Houston to sign Bregman to a long-term deal. "He (Bregman) gave a lot to this organization," Altuve said. "Now it's time for us, as a team, as an organization, to pay him back and make him stay here."

The Astros tried, but failed, to keep Bregman in Houston. It was reported that the Astros offered Bregman a deal similar to the one Matt Chapman signed with the San Francisco Giants, but the two-time All-Star eventually settled for a three-year, $120 million contract with the Boston Red Sox.

Altuve is not necessarily wrong in suggesting that Peña should be part of Houston's long-term plans. The shortstop is certainly an above-average defender and possesses elite speed on the base paths. Peña has good plate discipline in that he rarely strikes out, but the 27-year-old is apparently allergic to walks. Peña's walk rate, however, is up to nearly 8% this season after being among the bottom of the league (3.8% BB rate) in 2024.

Peña is hitting .265/.333/.402 through the first month of the 2025 season and has a 112 OPS+. But in the past two seasons, Peña has combined to hit just .265/.316/.388 with a 97 OPS+. He's not a bad player, but being under team control through the 2027 season allows Houston's front office to continue to evaluate whether or not they want to invest in Peña over the long haul.

Altuve is franchise player and an Astro for life, so it's not as if his opinion shouldn't matter at all. But negotiating through the media isn't always a wise approach. With players like Hunter Brown, Spencer Arrighetti, Yainer Diaz, and even Cam Smith, it's not as if the Astros don't have other long-term deals to explore.

Peña is having a fine season, but the Astros front office, whether fans like it or not, has a longstanding model that they're unlikely to break from anytime soon. Nevertheless, if Peña continues to produce at a high level, he may force Brown's hand and help grant Altuve's request.

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