4 Astros players that have been major disappointments this season

Jose Abreu

Jose Abreu's name is probably at the top of most fan's lists here and with good reason. When Houston signed Abreu to a three year deal, the hope was that he would at least resemble the guy he was with the White Sox where he won an MVP award and averaged an .848 OPS over the previous four seasons. Unfortunately, that has not been how things have worked out at all for Abreu and the Astros in 2023.

Through 469 plate appearances with the Astros this season, Abreu has slashed .234/.290/.343 with just 10 home runs in route to being one of the least productive everyday players in all of baseball. He also just missed a chunk of time with a back injury that has seemingly bothered him all season long which could explain his issues. Hopefully the time off and subsequent cortisone shots he received help him get back on track because this season has been really, really rough.

Rafael Montero

It is always risky to give relievers contracts that pay them real money and Rafael Montero is a cautionary tale there. The Astros gave Montero a three year deal worth $11.5 million a year after he posted a 2.37 ERA in 71 appearances during the 2022 season. Montero looked like a guy who could be the anchor of the Houston bullpen for a long time, but Montero's 2023 season is a lesson in how volatile relievers can really be.

The Astros have continued to use Montero heavily, but the results in 2023 haven't been nearly as good as he has posted a 5.50 ERA and 4.84 FIP in 54 innings this year. A bit of bad luck and a jump in his walk rate is largely to blame here, but Montero has given up a lot of hard hit balls this year and that is problematic. If one is looking for a silver lining, it is that Montero's 10.5 K/9 is the best he has put up in an Astros uniform. Assuming he can rein his command in, improvement over the last two years he is under contract is very much in the cards.