Jose Abreu’s contract is quietly haunting the Astros when they can’t afford it

Christian Walker's slow start triggered a minor form of PTSD for some Houston Astros fans. The spectacular failing of former Astros first baseman Jose Abreu left a bad taste in their mouths, and some fans were feeling some déjà vu having watched Walker struggle during the early going this season. Unfortunately, Abreu's disaster of a deal is still haunting the Astros even now.

While Houston did release Abreu last summer, they still owed him $30.8 million. A chunk of that sum was paid out last year, but the Astros still have to pay Abreu for the 2025 season as well.

At the time, the move got a collective "that sucks, but it was necessary" sigh from Astros fans, but Houston's trade deadline and 2025 season aspirations could be torpedoed because of that retained money in addition to others on their payroll.

Paying Jose Abreu's contract (among others) is tying the Astros hands as the MLB trade deadline approaches

The Astros needed to move on from Abreu — he was a black hole in Houston's lineup. The cost of doing so, however, wasn't just dollars and cents. Money retained (or buried), even after the player is no longer on the roster, still counts against the team's luxury tax threshold. In Abreu's case, that means roughly $19.5 million.

Owner Jim Crane has no stomach to pay luxury tax penalties, and at almost $20 million, Abreu's salary accounts for almost 10% of Houston's payroll. Once you add in around $8.5 million the Astros have to pay Rafael Montero (even after trading him), the $5.5 million retained in order to trade Ryan Pressly, and the $200K due Tayler Scott, you have $33.7 million in dead payroll that isn't actually invested in the active roster.

Thankfully, this hit will only affect the 2025 season. Nevertheless, the Astros are up against the tax threshold right now, and Dana Brown is not going to get the green light for major moves at the MLB trade deadline without cutting payroll elsewhere. There's a chance that Crane changes his tune, but given his history that doesn't seem likely.

If you're an Astros fan that thought cutting Abreu put an end to the pain, prepare for disappointment. As it turns out, his deal is still haunting Houston this season and it could cost them dearly.

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