4 bad Astros contracts they will regret having on their books this offseason

Jose Abreu

So the good news here is that Jose Abreu seemingly got back on track during the 2023 playoffs. In 11 games during the 2023 playoffs, Abreu posted a .945 OPS with four homers and was a big reason why Houston was able to advance to the ALCS at all this year. He was exactly the guy that Houston wanted when they brought him in on a three year deal before the season.

The problem was, well, the rest of the 2023 season didn't exactly instill a lot of confidence. Battling back issues for most of the season, Abreu's first season with the Astros did not go well as he slashed .237/.296/.383 with 18 homers which was easily the worst season of his career up to this point. You will not struggle to find Astros fans that were clamoring for Abreu to be jettisoned before Houston's postseason run.

Look, the guy was battling an injury and that does explain a crummy season. Abreu also seems like a decent enough guy who is loved in the clubhouse and who was working hard to get himself right. However, he was also always going to be 36 years old for the the entirety of the 2023 season and old power bats who have already seen their power dip (he had just 15 homers in 2022) are a risky demographic.

Houston placed their bet and now have to hope that the $19.5 million a year they are paying Jose the next two seasons doesn't come back to bite them when they are trying to get extensions or moves done this offseason.