Jose Altuve’s end-of-season injury another warning sign for Astros contract extension

After inking an extension before the 2024 season that was expected to keep him in Houston "for life", the results on the field for Houston Astros icon Jose Altuve have been a mixed bag. Altuve put together a nice offensive season in 2024 and showed flashes yet again this season, but his defense has declined considerably over the last couple of years, and his end-of-season slump is one reason why the Astros ended up missing the postseason.

There were already some concerns about giving Altuve a $125 million extension at his age and given his noticeable decline in recent years. Compounding the problem now is that not only is Altuve's production on both sides of the ball dipping, but his foot injury late in the 2025 season could mean that his body is starting to break down as well, with four seasons left on his deal.

Jose Altuve's foot injury does not bode well for Astros' contract extension decision aging well

It is important to remember that there is a lot of unknown information at the moment, so fans shouldn't be hitting the panic button just yet. While Altuve did say that the foot injury he played through for the latter part of the season was painful, he was able to play through the injury. We also don't know if surgery is even on the table as a treatment option, although that hasn't stopped some surgery chatter from popping up, and everyone involved has been cagey as to what the next steps for Altuve will be.

If this were one issue in isolation and everything else has been fine, things would be different, and the idea that Altuve's foot injury could be a long-term problem would seem less likely. However, fans have witnessed firsthand how Altuve's ability to perform on both sides of the ball went down this season, and he also missed a bunch of time in 2023 after hand surgery. Those injuries are not directly related (probably), but they do both go on the mileage counter on Altuve's body, which will turn 36 years old next season.

The one saving grace here is the structure of Altuve's contract being front-loaded. Paying Altuve $33 million a year for the next two seasons may not be ideal given his current state, but it is at least defensible, especially when you factor in marketing dollars and repaying him for what he has done for the organization. However, Altuve is only owed $13 million a year for 2028 and 2029, which lessens the payroll hit considerably and shouldn't look too terrible assuming Altuve holds up at all.

Would the Astros take back the decision to extend Altuve, knowing what they know now? Probably not. Some players simply belong with a certain team, and the idea of seeing Altuve playing for another team is almost too much to bear. However, that doesn't mean the decision is going to end up aging well.