The Astros announced Friday that they’ve released first baseman Jose Abreu. The former American League Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player is in the second season of a three-year, $58.5MM contract. Houston will eat the remainder of the money still owed to Abreu on that deal.
Houston selected the contract of catcher/outfielder Cooper Hummel from Triple-A Sugar Land, reports KPRC-2’s Ari Alexander. In 201 plate appearances in Triple-A this season, Hummel boasts a .301/.423/.509 slash (135 wRC+) with seven homers, 13 doubles, eight steals (in nine tries), a 17.4% strikeout rate and a massive 16.4% walk rate. The Astros acquired the 29-year-old from the Giants via an April waiver claim and later succeeded in passing him through outright waivers.
While Abreu generally exceeded expectations in landing that sizable three-year deal, few could’ve predicted that the contract would go this poorly. Abreu hit .237/.296/.383 with Houston last season and began the 2024 season in such a calamitous funk that the veteran agreed to be optioned at a point when he was 7-for-71 on the season. Since returning, Abreu hasn’t looked any better, hitting .167/.186/.333 in 43 trips to the plate.
Overall, Abreu’s tenure with the team will come to an end with a shocking .217/.275/.351 batting line in 714 plate appearances. That’s about 28% worse than league-average, by measure of wRC+. When coupled with below-average defense at first base, Abreu was 1.6 wins below replacement level, per Baseball-Reference, and a full two wins below replacement per FanGraphs.
Although there were some signs of decline in 2022, Abreu still hit .304/.378/.446 that season. A good portion of his power had eroded (hence the pedestrian .141 ISO and career-low 15 homers), and a fair bit of his production was propped up by a .350 average on balls in play that the plodding Abreu was never going to sustain over the long run. The Astros, operating without a general manager for the first portion of the offseason, still paid a hefty per-year price to sign Abreu into his late 30s, with owner Jim Crane spearheading negotiations on that deal and on Rafael Montero’s own surprising three-year pact. Though the length of the pact was a modest surprise, it pales in comparison to how surprising the extent of Abreu’s decline has been.
Between Abreu and Jon Singleton, Houston’s lack of production at first base has been near the bottom of all Major League Baseball. Only the Rockies — Kris Bryant, Elehuris Montero, Michael Toglia and Hunter Goodman — have seen their first basemen combine to deliver a lesser output than the Astros’ miserable .181/.262/.291 batting line. That dearth of offense from a typically bat-heavy position in the lineup has been one of many reasons for the Astros’ disappointing 31-38 record. Houston sits eight games back of the division-leading Mariners and six games out in the AL Wild Card hunt (with six teams to leapfrog in order to claim one of those three spots).
Abreu’s contract will now be dead money on the Astros’ payroll both this year and next. It still counts toward the luxury tax as well, even though he’s no longer on the roster. That dead money only further adds to a troubling long-term outlook that raises legitimate questions about the team’s ability to continue putting a perennial contender on the field. Despite their questionable long-term outlook and their 2024 struggles, however, general manager Dana Brown — hired after the signing of Abreu — has insisted that his team will not be a seller and that he expects to operate as a buyer in the run-up to next month’s trade deadline. The Astros reportedly have interest in adding multiple starting pitchers.
As for Abreu himself, he’ll now head to the open market and be able to field interest from other clubs. It’s unlikely that any team will place him directly onto the big league roster in light of his recent struggles, so he’d very likely need to settle for a minor league deal.
Whether Abreu is amenable to that sort of arrangement isn’t clear, but players often want to go out on their own terms rather than be forced from the game they love due to declining performance. Abreu’s willingness to be optioned earlier this season and the constant praise he’s received from teammates both in Chicago and in Houston regarding his work ethic and passion for the game could point a willingness to keep going. Teammates Mauricio Dubon, Jeremy Pena and Kendall Graveman all lauded Abreu’s work ethic last September when discussing his late-season hot streak with Chandler Rome of The Athletic, as well as his impact in the clubhouse. That drive, combined with his sterling clubhouse reputation and outstanding track record in Chicago, could lead to interest on what amounts to a no-risk flier from a team with a need for help at first base and/or against left-handed pitching.
Wow
It is time for Jose Abreu to come back home to the Chicago White Sox. We miss you on South Side big fella! Need this guy back in the clubhouse.. ASAP!
With those numbers, he’ll fit right in.
Abreu heard Canseco was in the last stages of his latest book, so he jumped (slowly) on the wagon.
Man, Very Barry, I HOPE you are being sarcastic. Abreu is a nice guy, helps other players, but its clear that the White Sox locker room has had no leaders in it for the past 3 seasons (one of those Abreu was there).
jeff – Agreed!
This is one instance where John Henry’s cheapness, Bloom’s incompetence, and the hugely negative perception of playing for the Red Sox were all a blessing in disguise! Abreu didn’t even give Bloom the opportunity to counter-offer! LOL!!
“One of the first moves the Sox attempted last off-season was to sign veteran slugger Jose Abreu to a multi-year deal, presumably to (mostly) DH and replace J.D. Martinez. Instead, Abreu went with the Houston Astros. That sigh of relief you hear? It’s coming from the Baseball Operations offices at Fenway Park.
Late last November, according to an industry source, chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom went to sleep believing the Red Sox had an agreement in principle with Abreu, with only some minor contractual matters to be completed. But when Bloom awoke, he was greeted with the news that Abreu had spurned the Sox and signed a three-year, $58.5 million deal with the Astros. Bloom was informed that the Red Sox would not have the option of revising his offer and the deal was done.”
He’s done worse than Bobby Dalbec. Now that is an accomplishment.
Fever Pitch still finds away to bash the Red Sox, even when he mentions a positive moment
It is interesting that Bloom and the Red Sox thought they had an agreement, but weren’t even given the option of countering. Doesn’t seem like the way for an agent to build good will and trust. Even if Abreu really wanted the Astros, they could have waited until the morning and at least given the courtesy of a heads up before reading it online.
Lord – Bloom’s lack of negotiating skills and other weaknesses were well known throughout the league by that point. It wasn’t just a matter of Boston being an undesirable place to play, Bloom had a history of undervaluing players and refusing to pay market rates (or higher) for healthy talented players.
So basically players would want to play for the Sox only if they were by far the highest bidder (ie: Yoshida, Jansen) or if there just wasn’t interest from other teams because of health concerns or poor performance (ie: Paxton, Hendriks, Robles, Richards, etc etc)
Abreu’s actions were a very clear indication he simply used Bloom to get a better deal with the Astros.
No way to quantify it, but based on reporting it seems like the Red Sox over the past 4 years have led MLB in trying and failing to sign talented free agents. Either they are massive liars, or they are inept at understanding what it takes to acquire healthy talented free agents that other teams are also interested in. Every single alleged free agent target that had other suitors last offseason ended up with the Sox front office’s BS “didn’t line up” excuse for free agents such as Shota, Lugo, Teoscar, etc.
That’s why the Red Sox are viewed as a pathetic organization right now, they are akin to billionaires haggling over prices in a thrift shop. Don’t waste everyone’s time and effort if you’re not willing to pay fair value.
@Fever How was Bloom incompetent? Abreu might ve had a slight dip in HRs the year prior. However he tight his 2nd best BA with .304 and had 2nd most doubles of his career.
Any notion that he was clearly on decline is simply false.
tigers – Your first question I just addressed in my response to Lord.
As for the rest of your post, where did I write that Abreu was in decline?
Weird that you would so vehemently dispute something that was never written by me.
Yes he did steadily decline each year from 2019 to 2022 (Covid year doesn’t count), but the decline was small enough that it wasn’t a concern to me.
Therefore I would have been fine with signing him to a reasonable 2-year plus option contract.
If you weren’t referring to Abreu being in decline, what is Bloom’s “incompetence” you are referring to here??
I did not “vehemently dispute” either. No need to be so dramatic.
Tigers – As I already wrote I explained it in great detail in my response to Lord. No need to copy and paste it all again, nobody else would want to read the same thing twice. Please scroll up.
Well I’m not scrolling all over to reread your comments so oh well ♂️
Tigers – The appropriate response from you would have been “Thank you for the explanation, I understand now.”
And I would have replied “You’re welcome”.
That’s how polite conversations go. Maybe someday you’ll grasp it.
When you figure out how to give a polite response, maybe one will respond to you in kind.
I asked a question and in your long winded response you would not answer. You rudely told me to go read it in your response to someone else.
If you would like anyone to be polite to you, why don’t you try being polite to others first.
Tigers – I’ll summarize one last time, and since you ridiculously accused me of not being polite I’m gonna get my moneys-worth :O)
1) You started out by falsely claiming I said Abreu was in decline. I don’t give a damn if it’s the weed, lack of cognitive ability, or some sort of psychological issue with you. I very nicely pointed out your claim was false, but instead of being respectful and showing remorse you refused to apologize. We have a term for people like that, begins with a d and ends with a bag.
2) I very nicely pointed out to you that I already explained in great detail my Bloom incompetence reference. It was LITERALLY IN THE POST DIRECTLY ABOVE MY RESPONSE. But you insisted you were too damn lazy and too damn arrogant to look at LITERALLY THE POST DIRECTLY ABOVE MY RESPONSE.
I even politely gave you a logical detailed explanation of why I didn’t want to copy and paste THE EXACT SAME RESPONSE THAT WAS IN LITERALLY THE POST DIRECTLY ABOVE MY RESPONSE.
I could have very easily slammed you for being lazy, arrogant, entitled, and generally acting like a spoiled brat whose mommy always let them have their way because she said you’re “special”. But no, I maintained my politeness and took the high road.
Then you ignorantly claimed I didn’t answer your question when in fact I did, and you insulted me by calling it “longwinded” because apparently anything more than 40 characters is too much to handle for you and therefore tl;dr for you.
As a result of your worthless posts, you cluttered up this thread with an extra SEVEN posts that never should have or would have happened if you didn’t throw a childish hissy fit to try and show you have some kind of spectrum-fueled power over me.
I’ve already given you plenty of chances. So hey, best of luck to your Tigers and have fun trying to antagonize those who haven’t muted you yet. :O)
@Fever I misinterpreted your statement and had not saw your other comment. I falsely assumed that you were referring ro Abreu having been in decline which seems to be a common misconception.
When you stated that was not the case, I asked why he was incompetent. You did not answer me. You tried telling me what to read instead. You can call it lazy when I refuse to go read something someone snidely tells me to read.
I simply asked a question after I made a false assumption. You got all butt hurt and went on a tirade. Sorry if anyone dare question anything you say….
A bear shaving would not hurt Abreu. Eww…
A bear with a razor wouldn’t hurt Abreu? Where do you get your facts?
Dan – Wouldn’t hurt him if it was an electric razor.
Hallelujah.
Hindsight is wonderful – he WAS a great hitter , IS a great teammate simply got old and lost the hit and powe tool . So easy to criticise from an armchair!
Bro fell off so badly
Yeah, kind of thinking the agency might have shaved a few years off his age when he got to North America, because he’s hit like a 42 year old.
I am 12
Very few players can compete for a MLB job at 37, if that’s his real age.
Give me one reason why his age should be questioned
The way he runs (not very well, like he’s injured), can’t field his position, and obvious lack of bat speed are all strong indicators that he’s not the player he was even a couple of years ago. Players don’t just forget how to hit and field. THAT is why his age should be questioned. He looked a little better when he came back from Florida, but nowhere near enough to continue to take up a roster spot.
So did you question Chris Davis’ age? What about Josh Hamilton?
@Irbias I don’t think his bat speed has really slowed much. What I do question is if he’s having with eyesight. The slightest decline in vision has a profound affect on hitting. The decline might not affect his everyday life in any capacity, but it could definitely have a huge impact reacting in milliseconds to MLB pitching. This is pure speculation, he is hitting an age where many start to see declines in vision.
I’d also assume that adjustments to try and “right the ship” have compounded his problems. Once it gets in ones head many do even more damage to their swings.
I’m sure if you were running an MLB team, you would put the same amount of resources into finding out if American players lied on their birth certificates as Dominican(or wherever Jose is from). Important to not be racist
He’s Cuban! We know his age!
@Liberalsteve Well I agree with your sentiment here overall. The issue with many of these Latin American countries, they simply do a horrible job of keeping or recording things like we do here in America.
This is in no way racist, it’s just a reality of how the governments in those countries function. Now I do believe that many exaggerate how big the issue is these days. There was a time where players and those representing them were exploiting the poor record keeping in their native countries. And had USA had the same deficiencies by all means it would ve been exploited here as well and problem much more often.
You didn’t answer the question.
Sure why question a Cuban defector or a migrant. They provide their own info. Sure it’s all 100 percent legit. The guy had help from an agent before he ever saw American soil. Of course he had millions of reasons in the form of American dollars to shave some years. You’re just as naïve as the owners of the Astros. You must be 20 years old. I believed in law enforcement and politicians telling the truth at that age too. When you mature more you will realize the truth.
The difference is an American issued birth certificate. Plain and simple.
I mean, how many American small business owners knowingly hire illegal laborers based on phony documents, and then claim oh I had no idea when the government comes knocking.
Maybe when people realize that the “open border” issue is really nothing more than Republicans getting rich off exploiting foreigners, these hotheads might find a new issue to complain about. Because they’re being poor is certainly never going to be THEIR fault.
You mean the Cuban Series, where he was playing pro ball at age 16? The league lied about his age because…
Yall racists are so lazy
Why is it racist to bring up a fact? We know for a fact players coming from other countries have lied about their age, because those countries don’t keep the same kind of records we do. I don’t know if Abreau did or didn’t, but it has happened. You sound like a idiot throwing the racist card out there.
@soxfan4381
Not sounds like, is.
It may not even be shaving years off. Its not like these Latin American have the types of nutritional and physical fitness infrastructure and programs we have in the US for athletes, Id imagine living in Cuba has to grind a few years of peak perfromance off of these guys.
@nrd Contrary to popular belief, American diets are much worse than the majority of the world. Few if any places consume the amount of sugar that most American products have and few consume the amount of preservatives most of our food has.
You are absolutely correct. On my first visit to America, I was surprised by the food I encountered. I also had never seen so many overweight people.
Yes, you’re right, all the athletes in the US are severely obese.
I watched him play many times in Chicago. Over the years he has gotten in better shape than what he was. Vision, and form are most likely. I still believe he’s at least 40 and also believe he can be a force for a contender in August/September if he goes to an eye doctor and a hitting lab.
@nrd Nobody said anything about athletes being obese. That dies not change the fact that the “nutritional infrastructure” as you put it, here in the US is not all that great and in many ways very poor.
As far as athletes conditioning, MLB players as a whole have never been at the top of the list.
This is directed at everyone in this thread. Funny how you complain about one guy who generalizes that Cuban players get the big money and then underperform, calling him a racist squirrel among other things. And yet, every single one of you is convinced that he’s older than 37. Wow, hypocrites, meet yourselves.
The Houston Colt has bitten the bullet
I’m sure he’ll find a home.
In Mexico maybe…
Baseball United
I could see him returning to the White Sox. That’s one place he might sell tickets.
Blue Jays just let Vogelbach go…
$20 mil to watch MLB on streaming???
Heck…that’s less than I pay.
Wow! About time!
Maybe once he passess through waivers Friedman will sign him and put him in the pen?
He was released. Any team can sign him rn
José, can you see?
This is still a contending team despite their record, they had to let him go, killing their team. Not sure how he fell off so far but he did. Maybe back to CWS if they sell off off a bunch just to give fans someone to see?
Abreu will sell tickets for the White Sox, on pure nostalgia.
Even with how bad the White Sox have been, Jose probably couldn’t crack their regular lineup at this point.
Maybe they sign him as a bench bat and start him at a home game once a week.
Please God no.
If anything, maybe this shows the White Sox that the smart thing to do is cut bait with fellow dead-ender Andrew Benintendi.
I never understood that signing. All hype, no results.
I do wonder if they might give Brandon Belt a call. They’ve gotten nothing at 1B, and Belt was pretty good last year.
Still can’t believe the Twins gave up a combined 1.200 OPS to him in the playoffs last year and his 2 games against them this year.
Poverty franchise
Opens a roster spot for Trevor Bauer…just sayin
Bauer will never step foot on a mlb field ever again so stop with this
Oh and why not?
There are legitimate reasons NOT to sign Bauer that have nothing to do with the false accusations against him. Primarily it would create an instant media frenzy, and become a huge unnecessary distraction in the clubhouse for an Astros team that already has enough on their plates. Maybe coming out of Spring Training… maybe. But not 70 games in.
Because MLB employers don’t want him. That part is glaringly obvious.
4 accusers, run out of Japan for being a fool, and his generally toxic personality both behind closed doors and in front of the cameras. Which is where he gets the attention he so desperately thirsts for.
Absolutely Irbias. Signing him would be willfully hosting a media circus.
Not to mention he clearly has had issues in every clubhouse he’s been in dating back to his college days. The lone player to speak positive on his behalf was Mookie Betts. Which I wonder if part of Mookie’s motivation was just being a good leader and backing a then teammate when he was down.
MLB needs instant media frenzy.
MLB needs a positive media frenzy not one that’s polarizing to some.
Sounds like you gotta a little thing for Trevor “Punchy” Bauer there, fopper. Maybe you’d like him to come over & slap you around a bit. Ahahaha!
Tigers32 MLB is nowhere close to being the big discussion. NFL offseason still trumps MLB in-season.
They need a media frenzy. Negative or positive.
@woodhead1986 How many *credible* accusers though? Quality over quantity every time.
@Irbias and Tigers3232 Everyone said that signing the SDSU punter would create a negative media frenzy and it didn’t. A team signing Bauer would be a story for a week tops.
The stories of the first 2 in Ohio who got PPOs against Bauer and did not seek out the media at all seem pretty credible based off of details made public.
Mind you less then the half of reported alleged rapes ever get charged. Some likely are phony but many the women simply wait. Whether it be from shame, procrastination, work, kids, etc. They put off going in and it’s to late for a rape kit or physical evidence.
Now as far as that Hill chick or whatever her name is, I believe she was absolutely an opportunist. Considering the 2 cases in Ohio, Bauer was a fool to even put himself on such a situation.
Now I know this is easier said then done. If I made that type of $ and lived that lifestyle in my 20s I’d have been trying to tap everything. But in Bauer’s case by the time of the 3rd incident he should of been ultra vigilant.
Even if you discount 2 of his accusers (1 does seem to be nonsensical and is being charged for her crimes and hill is at least murky) He has 2 others.
If it’s so certain that they’re lying, if it’s so easy to frame and extort a pro athlete with lies; why doesn’t it happen more? Why isn’t it a yearly thing in mlb? Why are men so reflexively opposed to the possibility that pro athletes could commit such acts? The reaction is always “women want a bag” and it’s a terrible hill to die on, that shows a lack of any kind of character
Who’s woodhead and why did he mute me? Meh, rack up another one….
@woodhead1986 Bauer already addressed the other 2 accusations in his video about the one accuser being charged for extortion. They both recanted and one refused to testify against him in the Lindsey Hill trial even under threat of contempt of court.
“Why are men so reflexively opposed to the possibility that pro athletes could commit such acts?”
We aren’t. It’s just that Bauer didn’t.
“The reaction is always ‘women want a bag’ and it’s a terrible hill to die on, that shows a lack of any kind of character”
Except these specific women did just “want a bag.” We make no comments about the other 4 billion give or take in the world.
Bauer needs to stay where is MEXICAN LEAGUE. He won’t see a MLB field again.
So enough of him to Astros
Bauer a victim. Love to see him get a chance somewhere.
He is a victim when it comes to the sexual assault slur. When it comes to not being able secure a job in MLB, he is getting what he brought on himself.
I wouldn’t mind him getting a chance, but totally understand why it isn’t happening. You reap what you sow with people.
“He is a victim when it comes to the sexual assault slur”
Slur! Come on now
And, sorry, but his team of lawyers conceded that he punched and sodomized an unconscious woman.
He has victims, hes not one himself. His fanboys tell on themselves so badly, it’s wild that bauer is the guy anyone would carry water for. Boggles the mind.
Maybe he did. But if you are talking about Hill, the evidence suggests that is what she wanted. Especially the choking part. Her texts are indisputable when it comes to consent as part of a plan for financial gain.
So watch the Mexican League where he is getting his chance, and being paid pesos.
Cant consent to anything when unconscious, pal. You must be able to revoke consent at any time.
“I need him to choke me out”
You can absolutely consent to that sex act. Stick to missionary with the lights off, pal.
If unconscious you aren’t an eye witness.
@Eighty Raw his lawyers conceded nothing of the kind!
@woodhead1986 Bauer has no victims and what are his fanboys supposedly “telling on themselves” for?
Do you really need this spelled out? Ok sure, here’s why bauer apologists are outing themselves;
Setting aside his multiple accusations of s*xual violence, we have a long list of behaviors that paint the picture of a lousy human.
Years before his suspension, there were many instances, and articles written about, his repeated bullying of people (women) on twitter, including a female beat writer. hounding them and sending his followers to do the same. Pure misogyny and childlike behavior.
Posting climate change denial and other right wing ugliness on his platform and talking down to anyone who pushed back.
A me-first attitude and a smug sense of “I know best” that resulted in him being traded to clv, despite being a big time prospect. he stupidly played with his drone during the playoffs in 16. His ball throwing tantrum in KC.
He was run out of Japan for saying insensitive, stupid stuff as well. The 2nd country in which he is no longer welcome to play despite obvious talent.
He goes out of his way to prove how smart, logical and above it all he really is and all that draws him is a fanbase of guys who are also desperately insecure, unlikable, uninformed, and unable to take any responsibility for themselves and instead would like nothing more than to blame it all on women. Hero to losers and neckbeards.
Questions?
@woodhead1986
“Setting aside his multiple accusations of s*xual violence…”
So accusations means he did it now?
“Years before his suspension, there were many instances, and articles written about, his repeated bullying of people (women) on twitter, including a female beat writer. hounding them and sending his followers to do the same. Pure misogyny and childlike behavior.”
Didn’t happen. Fake news.
“Posting climate change denial and other right wing ugliness on his platform and talking down to anyone who pushed back.”
Ask me if I care where a player stands politically.
“His ball throwing tantrum in KC.”
Absolutely no one cares about him throwing the ball over the fence in KC. No one. His haters need to stop bringing it up.
“He was run out of Japan for saying insensitive, stupid stuff as well.”
No evidence that he was “run out of Japan.” Him signing elsewhere doesn’t exactly prove that.
“Hero to losers and neckbeards.”
I was wondering how long it would take for you to throw out an insult like “incel,” “neckbeard” or “misogynist.”
4 accusers is enough reason to be suspicious. Also here are examples of what you called fake.
deadspin.com/my-twitter-fight-with-trevor-bauer-18…
usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2019/01/08/trevor-ba…
I don’t care if you care about his politics, the question was why some people would consider him undesirable and why defending him is weird.
He was not welcome back in Japan and here’s why;
twitter.com/yakyucosmo/status/1747530211330289925?…
And I don’t have to call you an incel or misogynist, it’s very clear what his fans are.
A Google search would show you plenty of stories about his harassment, as they would point out his controversial npb exit. It doesn’t take any effort to see what kind of person he is, men just protect their own
@Burn baby burn If a Google search would turn all that up as you say then drop the link. Innocent until proven guilty.
Don’t be lazy.
Deadspin. com /my-twitter-fight-with-trevor-bauer-1845368579/
usatoday
.com/story/sports/mlb/2019/01/08/trevor-bauer-twitter-nikki-giles/2517721002/
You can also find links related to baker’s positive comments about a us solider killing Japanese citizens and that being the reason he’s in Mexico now
His politics are his own, but he trump-ets them loudly enough for them to be relevant here. He’s supported Obama birther theories among other trash.
He was sent of clv for that ball toss so unless you consider Terry Francona a hater, you’re just fanboying.
4 accusers and enough negative social credit to make him unwelcome in 2 countries. Idc if you’re an incel or not but this is transparent nonsense. just own that. Nobody believes he’s a good guy besides other bad guys so dont waste your time lol
Being a good person is not a prerequisite. Nor is having the “proper” politics. As for the ball toss, I guess David Wells should have been banished in the early 90’s. The CF toss by Bauer was more memorable than 98% of all bat flips.
Seems you’re making a case to bring him back.
@Burn baby burn…
“He was sent of clv for that ball toss so unless you consider Terry Francona a hater, you’re just fanboying.”
No he was traded because that is how the Cleveland Guardians choose to operate. Trading players with one year left on their contract (or even a year and a half or even two) for cheaper players with more club control. They did the same thing a year later with Mike Clevinger and he didn’t throw the ball over the fence when he was taken out of his final Guardians start. No one is trading Bauer over that I assure you.
“4 accusers and enough negative social credit to make him unwelcome in 2 countries.”
How many *credible* accusers? Quality over quantity every time.
“Idc if you’re an incel or not but this is transparent nonsense. just own that.”
This is a baseball forum. The s*x lives of other commenters is completely irrelevant here.
“Nobody believes he’s a good guy besides other bad guys so dont waste your time lol”
Is Marcell Ozuna a good guy? How about Julio Urias? How about Aroldis Chapman? How about Roy Halladay? How about Jose Fernandez? How about Oscar Taveras?
Any interest in responding to the links? Or do you only want to show me your strawman collection.
No I don’t believe wife beaters and such are good people, luckily some of them like bauer, urias, the closer osuna etc have been shown the door. I’d love the league to have stricter policies, hopefully throwing the book at bauer is a first step for that
I mean, he’s never coming back because he’s cancerous and it’s just sad that he’s somehow a martyr for guys like ya’ll
whether you think it’s a grand sticky conspiracy or a pattern of toxicity that nobody wants to deal with; he’s never sniffing an mlb field again. So, enjoy that smugness, champ
@Burn baby burn If you think not being a good guy is worthy of being banned from the league then that’s fine but several guys who are still playing have admitted/been confirmed to have done worse stuff that what Bauer has only been *accused* of. Dodgers fans went to bat several times for Julio Urias between his first and second incidents, insisted that he was “not as bad as Bauer.”
“No I don’t believe wife beaters and such are good people, luckily some of them like bauer, urias, the closer osuna etc have been shown the door. I’d love the league to have stricter policies” – me, a comment before.
do you not know how to read?
I’m not saying his jerk behavior is reason enough, but it points to a pattern, a pattern that lends credence to the accusations and brands him untouchable. Again, dying on such a bad hill lol
I wanted urias gone the first time. you’re not going to catch me in an ideological bind here. Abusers and trash have no place in the league, regardless of politics and the rest.
How about Ozuna, Chapman, Fernandez and Halladay?
If there is 0 interest in signing him why would you send scouts to watch him throw a bullpen for you?
I’m so tired of these Bauer thumpers. The dude’s been ostracized and he’s never coming back. Allow him to enjoy the rest of his career in Mexico or the Caribbean or East Asia.
@Rays in the Bay there are other websites.
And there are other leagues for Bauer to enjoy his career in, despite how hardy his weird fanbase is in pushing to have him back.
But he wants (and is talented enough) to play in MLB the same way you prefer to comment here.
But I also haven’t been in court soooo…
But have you been convicted of anything?
Not that I know of
Neither has Bauer
Pass. Just saying. Contact Zack Grienke instead.
Actually the Astros STILL owe Greinke deferred money. $12.5M this year and 2025.
That does not feature in payroll calculations on FanGraphs. Are you sure of your information.
How game are the ladies in Houston???
Thank you good sir…. HA
WHY IS WOODHEAD1986 LYING AND MAKING UP STUFF? BAUER HAD THE SAME OFFER TO PITCH AGAIN IN JAPAN. It’s ok that you are a virgin
You might want to let your mother know that it’s time to up your meds.
Only problem with that is that he reached the maximum allowed dose at cvs pharmacy according to Rachel Luba
He has said himself he wasn’t welcomed back, do you really think he would willingly move to a weaker league if he didn’t have to? Would that help his mlb chances? Do you think?
The Astros deviated from their ultra successful template of excelkent drafting, international signings and team friendly deals for homegrown players. Their window is now over half way closed and the Hader/Abreu deals will almost certainly cost them Kyle Tucker.
I may be stupid but I actually think the Hader deal is a decent one. I am predicting above average relievers are going to see a large rise in their contracts considering the premium in pitching now a days, and also Hader hasn’t been *that* bad. He sucked majorly the first month but really dialed it back it. And the most important thing is that he is still young, ain’t no way should Abreu have received a 3 year deal when he was already at retirement age.
I agree with you. Once Hader settled in he’s been pretty good. He was terrible the first 20 games or so after he was traded to SD. I do take issue with how the ballclub handled the whole thing with Pressly. IMO they did him dirty. There’s gotta be a way to use BOTH Hader and Pressly in the closer’s role. Hader can’t pitch every night. Espada needs to sort all that out.
You had us at I may be stupid
That’s a shame. *eats popcorn*
@mlb fan
Not sure if they deviated from there plan pre say, but imo it’s more of there top scouts and fo personal have been poached and they haven’t replaced them with quality guys.
The personnel that understood the Astros system have left. The last guy wanted them to be the Rays, the current guy they got from the Braves is simply over his head.
The Jeff Luhnow Astros legacy is gone in Houston, as is the Cardinals Way in St. Louis. It’s a new era in both places, and not a good one.
These things happen in MLB.
Just a bit of it might be the lower spot in the draft they have been picking from due to their improved record after these players reached the majors. After years tanking and drafting high, it becomes more difficult from a less choice position. This is not unique to the Astros. Happens to every team. (Except the biggest markets)
Byyyyyyyeeeeeeeee
Welcome back to the White Sox Jose!
I just startled my son with an emphatic, “YES!!”
But it is odd considering Abreu’s career stats against tonight’s SP
He was a bad signing from the get go! Red flags while in Chicago. Not surprised by this outcome! Another case of throwing stupid money around to players that didn’t earn it.
137 wRC+ in his final Chicago season. K% dropped significantly. Batted ball data looked solid. But apparently you are smarter than the Astros FO and saw red flags
He is only smart after the event.
Ask not for whom the trash cans bang, they bang for thee
It happens. Always enjoyed watching Abreu play the game.
Braves need a bat but he’d need to work a few weeks in the minors. Change of scenery could help. I could see Pittsburgh also signing or the angels to a long term deal
I would love the braves to take a chance but with Olsen and Ozuna he doesn’t have a spot.
Yeah, the Pirates, of course. The home of broken down reclamation projects where after the signing, the GM will say, “See? We’re going for it”
He ain’t getting a long-term deal with anyone. He is toast, done.
Doesn’t have to. He already has the one he signed with Houston. They still on the hook.
Sarcasm to arte Moreno and owners who give big contracts
I’d say Red Sox, but we just released Garrett Cooper who has better numbers this year. Still so tempted by his track record.
He didn’t want Boston. I doubt the Red Sox would go to him now.
let – He wouldn’t want to sign with the Sox now because he knows when Casas returns within a few weeks he would likely be released again.
He needs to go to a team that will play him the rest of the season.
Curious if folks think the Mets trade Alonso and replace him with Abreu at the league minimum.
Why would they do that when they can just slot in the young stud Vientos at first base, with Baty going full time at 3rd?
This is what the Mets should do.
Baggy owns this signing.
He damn sure does. He was the one who went down to Florida to recruit him. Get that guy out of the decision-making loop!
Wonder if paired with Soto might resurrect him?
Madness. Yankees are not signing him. They’d sooner call up Ben Rice, and that’s unlikely unless Rizzo gets hurt.
Hey, Abreu could be Soto’s personal bat boy. [sarcasm]
If his sister has a kid he will be Uncle Ben Rice
It must suck to be an elite player and fall off the way he did. I hope he is able to find peace.
The money he’s owed should help him in his quest to find peace.
Sometimes that does help, but not always.
The quest for peace. Maybe find spock?
Good idea.
The search for plot.
He’ll be alright. The dude accepted a minor league assignment.
This was actually predictable. Signing 30+ age 1B/DH for big contract does not age well normally.
Alonso is gonna find that out soon. He should’ve taken the Mets overpay offer. All of MLB is getting wise and not signing aging 1st/DH types.
Fly ball hitters in general have a tough time with the aging curve. Everyone loses exit velo as they age and fly balls are most sensitive to declines in exit velo. Fly balls that lose exit velo goes from HR to fly outs whereas line drives at lower exit velocities can still fall in for hits.
Oh, Susannah
Abreu cut, when will the Dbacks do the same to Suarez and his .190- .195 batting average .and k’s rate at 28% of the time and walk rate around 5 to 8 %.
Is Suarez at least flashing the leather and emiting nothing but Good Vibes Only ??? He’s also a great teammate and overall swell dude.
He put up a .519 OPS since his return from the minor leagues, which is nearly double what his OPS was before the demotion. Why would the release a guy who was so obviously trending up???
That is dire. My goodness.
Dear AJ Preller,
I know Abreu will tempt you, being that he was a formerly shiny object, but please stay far away from Abreu.
That is all.
-Padres fan
You’re safe, he’s not a middle infielder.
Breaking news aj picks up abreu and signs him to 300m 15 year extension to play 2b because why not lol
I guess his 2023 metrics were substandard, especially for him, but 18 HRs and 90 RBIs are nothing to sneeze at. He hit well with runners on base, which is what a run-producer should do, thus minimizing concern about the .237 BA. He was better at the end of the season than at the beginning, and he performed well in the postseason, with 4 homers and 13 RBIs in 11 games. Guess what was left of his skills just vanished this year. Too bad. He looked like the type of guy who could DH in his later years a la Nelson Cruz.
This is what happens when your owner let’s a good GM go and gets too involved with personnel decisions. The Astros will continue down this path if Crane keeps interfering in front office matters.
It’s odd considering the analytics side built the blueprint for the success. Then Crane decided to listen to Bagwell and his own thoughts.
Some guys have to show you that they’re the smartest guy in the room. Those guys are always decidedly not smart.
James Click was trying to bring the Rays system into Houston, His moves set up the Astros decline.
Dana Brown is left trying to pick up the pieces. Astros will be a middling franchise for years to come.
Crane and Bagwell are the behind the decline.
Cleveland was rumored to be interested when he was an FA. So glad they didn’t sign him to that albatross deal.
I was thinking the same thing. I think I remember hearing that they were even willing to make a similar offer and that Abreu just chose Houston, so they dodged a bullet there.
Of course they just ended up pivoting to Josh Bell, but they saved a little bit of money and got a low-risk flyer on Kahlil Watson out of it so it’s okay.
At least they found a taker for Bell. I don’t think they could have for Abreu even last year. Wouldn’t be surprised if HOU made a play for Bell next month which will be very ironic.
I’m going to go out on a limb and call this a bad signing.
He is washed up and probably headed to Japan or Mexico . Made his money and hopefully he invested it wisely. He probably can make a little extra money signing at card shows. He tanked quickly but what do you expect for a 50 year old player who claims to be in his 30’s.
More racist nonsense. Are you telling me that Jose Abreu tricked everyone in Cuba when he was playing in the Cuban Series at age 16? That no one on the island had seen him play before and figured out that he was not 16 (despite looking like he was 16)?
How is it racist for people to question the age of players from countries that as recently as 15-20 yrs ago did a terrible job of collecting and keeping vital public records?
Now I in no way believe that Abreu’s age was falsified. And you brought up an excellent reason why it’s hard to question with him. However with Latin players as a whole, it’s unfortunately easy to question. Quite a few were caught, there was a clear monetary motivation, and it’s known that many countries in Latin America did a terrible job as far as public records fairly recently. Much like the steroid era, it will unfortunately cast doubt on many players who were innocent.
It isn’t racist. If we put up a list of players caught falsifying age there will be a couple of common threads, one being the ability to keep (or change) proper records in certain countries.
Eighty: Calling people racist for being informed is a virtue signal fail. Use the Google machine and search for the story MLB dropped in late winter. They’re investigating a MASSIVE age scandal involving dudes from the DR, covering players on the minors and MLB. The players would be stupid not to lie as we’re talking the difference between a couple 100k bonus or staying home on the island. Do better before you try to smear people…
And I just bought his Astros jersey, jokes on me.
You can say it was Brian Abreu’s.
Remember this when people talk about the benefits of long contracts to lower AAV. This wasn’t a long deal but it did run thru Aubrey’s late 30s, the age a lot of recent long deals extend to. I could absolutely see someone like Bogaerts limping to these numbers at the tail end of his deal. You don’t get any surplus value when you have tens of millions in dead money on the books at the end of these deals.
Its pretty obvious that Abreu has been lying about his age. He is realistically 3 years older than what he claims to be so he could get a nice fat contract. Pujols has done the same in the past. That is why he had such a sudden drop off. Once a player reaches a certain age, their reflexes and athleticism slow down a lot
Yeah sure pal. I’m sure he was 13 playing in the Cuban national series. Tired, lazy comment
I am unsure who has been less valuable this season between Abreu and Javy Baez, it’s a legit competition… probably Baez because of his huge contract.
Javy is still playing solid defence and is one of the best at making the tag. In spite of his low average and high K rate, he’s among the Tiger leaders in RBI. Still, SS is high on the Tigers list of needs. Just saying he’s having a better season than Abreu.
I agree with Stymedone. I’d also add that Baez needs to be the next big name that gets released. Fans only have so much patience and as much as I liked watching Baez with the Cubs I just don’t want to hear his name the last couple years. Time to cut bait and make him a former Tiger. Run with backup IF types like Kreidler, McKinistry and Leonard this year until they can sign or trade for a long term solution.
Carlos Gomez 2.0 to Texas ??
Another ace action by the team of Crane/Bagwell to go along with the insane deal for Raphael Montero. I kept hoping that Houston would package Jose Abreu and Montero in deals involving Bregman, and Verlander and Pressly to get rid of those two payroll anchors. Brown has to come to his senses and deal Bregman/Verlander/Pressly and remove some more payroll and get back some quality prospects to fill the holes. Need to stop adding to an already aging roster and one where many of them are leaving and get what you can before they leave or drag you down further. Lots of clubs would love those three seasoned playoff veterans.
Just bang some trash cans whenever jose is at bat!
Abreu would fit INSIDE a trash can.
Who swoops in to pay him minimum wage?
The local publix supermarket.
He should follow the siren song of a beer league along with Daniel Vogelbach, Joey Gallo, and Rowdy Tellez.
Loperfido time
bring him on board farhan! #giants
My guess for landing spot would be White Sox. Give fans a comeback chance to cheer for (I don’t see it, but thought Pujols was completely done and he had a couple of ok seasons left which was nice to see) and it will blunt, not cur, but blunt a tad, the firesale that’s coming.
And ownership would probably go for minimum salary that might bring in fans with Houston paying the rest.
Jerry Reinsdorf: “Is that the sound of turnstiles clicking for at least a few weeks I hear? Welcome home, son. We’ve missed you like the desert missed the rain.”
This absolutely positively had to happen. The right move.
Jose Abreu by all reports is a very decent guy, I hope that his life outside of baseball is blessed.
Wouldn’t be shocked if the Yankees take a cheap flyer.
Also Red Sox.
You wouldn’t be shocked?! Everyone else would.
Crane is acting like Jerry Jones at Dallas. Thinking he is the be all, know all of his sport. Jeff Luhnow and Mike Elias (now Baltimore GM) built that team. Luhnow’s admitted weakness was the international market, BUT he learned. After the scandal, Crane threw a temper tantrum and dumped Luhnow and Hinch instead of letting them serve their one-year suspension, like Boston let Alex Cora do, Since then, the organization has been a mess. Click went through the team giving away rental players like Vasquez and Mancini. Brown rested on the laurels of Coppolla in Atlanta and has shown he is over his head. Bagwell despises analytics and his moves show he needs to sit back in a recliner and watch the game. Crane should publicly beg Luhnow to come back, but that will probably never happen. Brown and Bagwell make former Astro GM Ed Wade look like MLB executive of the year.
That’s huge, hopefully Detroit will do the same with one they have.
“Bye bye Baez” has a good ring to it 😉
I can actually see Seattle giving him a minor league deal and let him try to work it out in AAA. They need a 1B and if he regained half his form, it would be worth it, not that I think he will, but it can’t hurt to give him a month to figure it out.
@Guarded Nah, Dipoto would not touch him. We have France/Locklear at first until/unless a trade is made for somebody better. Abreu is not better.
I can’t. Don’t think he is willing or can at this point work it out in minors. I’m sure Houston saw that option was over. It’s time for him to retire and collect his salary.
Last productive player I remember falling off this hard without an injury history was Alvin Davis in the very early 90’s. Dude’s bat speed just disappeared in his early 30’s. It’s a shame when it happens to good dudes, but sometimes athletes just lose that extra step and it ruins their ability to compete…
What about that center fielder, Carlos Gomez.?
Chris Davis too.
CD, that was a massive bust of a contract
There is nothing long term about the dead money from Abreu. It goes away after next season. 19.5 million is a bitter pill, but 2026 it will be gone and Verlander’s money the Astros are paying him (just a couple million mor than they are paying Abreu) will be off the books as well.
>few could’ve predicted that the contract would go this poorly
That could only be written by someone who thinks there is no steroid testing in baseball.
The crackdown on PEDs has resulted in many star hitters declining after the age of 31, and has eliminated most batters 35 and older from MLB. There will always be physical freaks — the Hall of Fame is full of them — but gone are the position players worth 7-10 WAR as they appoach 40.
In 2023, there were only six batters who were 32 or older worth 3.0 fWAR or better. In 2003, there were 21 such players, led by 38 year old Barry Bonds at 10.2 fWAR.
I’m surprised HOU didn’t let him work on things in AAA and stay longer.
They could have kept him there for the rest of the year if necessary and hope he works on whatever he can in offseason and Spring trainining 2025.
He could have been moved off the 40 man roster.
I realize it would be a longshot for positive results but worth a try I think..
A lot of unproductive money. $.
I think the reason they did that was because they didn’t want him on the 40 man roster. Hypothetically if no team claims him off of waivers, they could assign into AAA and if he didn’t want that he could elect to be a free agent
They couldn’t have sent him down without his permission, and I guarantee you that a call up date was already in place when he agreed to go down. He never would have agreed to what you are suggesting.
I’m a Seattle Fan and don’t want to see it but Dipoto prob will go after him and not have to fork over some money or trade someone good.
Dipoto would not touch him. We have France/Locklear at first until/unless a trade is made for somebody better. Abreu is not better.
Any Sox fans here willing to eat crow and admit JR, Hahn and I were right in not extending him after ’22? The wailing and gnashing of teeth from so many Sox when the decision was made to let Abreu go to market was sickening.
What are the odds Abreu is wearing a White Sox uni sooner than later? Pretty darn good. His return surely will boost attendance a bit and the clamour of his return will distract attention away from the horrendous on field product. Getz and Grifol will both wax about the leadership Abreu brings to the clubhouse, Everybody on this site has to pay me a buck every time Getz or Grifol refers to the returned Abreu as “found money.”
I wish Andrew Friedman had the same energy to release Chris Taylor
This is what happens when you pay someone based on past performance thinking that performance will continue. Idiocracy
If not past performance, what would you base it on? Would you pay Torkelson, guessing on what he might do in the future? How about the Red’s Marte? Did you love the original Jon Singleton signing? Thinking past performance doesn’t matter is idiotic. As for how much he was paid, that was market based.
you’re a dunce stymee
Meanwhile… Brandon Belt remains unsigned.
It’s crazy how some teams are willing to eat the contracts of bad players but not the Yankees. DJ has been a disaster and Stanton up until recently has been a train wreck. Still both players taking up roster spots.
Speaking of Belt. I’d give him a shot over Rizzo. Does Houston want Rizzo for a great Tex Mex food or BBQ in return?
Nobody’s signing Belt to a MLB deal at this late date. If he really wants to continue playing, he should sign a deal with an Atlantic League team and prove he’s still got it. Then during the offseason maybe somebody offers him a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training.
Maybe Belt really doesn’t have the urge to play anymore.
I’m thinking there must be something up with Brandon Belt. Nobody seems to want him
Maybe the Rangers should grab him and turn him back into a good player. They’ve done that before with guys the Astros couldn’t make work.
Still (marginally) better than Gallo. Since the Astros are responsible for everything but the prorated minimum, Rizzo might as well take a flyer and DFA Gallo.
Gallo’s on the IL and the Nats have an open 40-man roster spot. So no need to DFA Gallo for that – yet.
Best wishes, Jose. We’ll always remember you fondly in Chicago.
Should sign a series of 3 game contracts with teams playing the Twins.
now just need the Dodgers to release Chris Taylor then it will be a perfect day.
Hummel’s .932 OPS in AAA is only 35% above average? I guess it really is a hitter’s league.
Someone needs to pull film of his at bats from the first few years and see what’s changed! He obviously HAS the tools… but has gotten away from using them.
Father time is undefeated.
Had the Tools fixed it for you
Maybe the Rays can teach him to catch. Our starting catcher was hitting .080 after last nights game (AND that was after getting a hit in 2 ABs). As long as the Astros are on the hook for most of the salary of course. $ternberg needs his clubs making a huge profit and to make the Wild Card Series every year so he doesn’t get tagged by the majority of Rays fans as a greedy S o B.
Sad to see a player of his calibre in this situation. Whatever he does in the future,I hope it works for him.
Retirement calls, Jose. Answer!
YES ! ANOTHER BUST CONTRACT !
ya gotta love people who get paid millions to SUCK
It wasn’t his fault he was awarded that salary. Blame the ignorant owner of the Houston Astros for giving him that contract.
Like many imports, he is not the age of 37 as he listed. He is several years older.
Continuing to spout that nonsense doesn’t make it true.
Imagine someone asking a legitimate question about someone’s age, but then you have all these village id**ts calling people ‘racist’ when Cuba or Cubans aren’t a specific race.
Last but not least, I present Fausto Carmona.
“Attempting to renew his visa in the Dominican Republic, Hernández was instead arrested. Turns out his birth certificate had been doctored, and the woman who falsified it went public after not receiving payment. On top of Hernández using a different name, he was also three years older than he claimed to be.”
Before you start throwing stones and not being able to comprehend English, the fact is that it has happened before. I am not saying or asserting Abreu is older than he claims to be just for those that have difficulties understanding and make false and asinine claims of ‘racism’.
Some people on here will throw the race card around without even knowing what they’re talking about, the ignorance is expected though in this day and age.
Exactly. The list of MLB players who have incorrectly reported their age is pretty significant, with the Carmona saga, Miguel Tejada and by some accounts Albert Pujols, on the list. Also ages were not as highly vetted 10+ years ago when Abreu was initially signed and even so, mistakes are still being made (see the Mets 2023 pick). There was an article about it in the NYT earlier this year., and a previous one in the Guardian in 2021.
.457 winning percentage in mid-June and the GM announces he plans to be a buyer at the deadline. Maybe he can screw the future up as badly as the Angels have. Letting 12 teams in the post-season has turned GMs into fools.
He is this year’s Nelson Cruz…great guy and career but he is DONE.
This guy is in desperate need of the trash can….
Jose Abreu is probably several years older than his stated age like Pujols. Probably every bit of 40 years old. Not many batters are productive in mlb after that age.
There’s the decline that comes with the mid-late 30’s and then there’s whatever happened to Abreu. He’s always been a guy who starts slow and heats up in the summer, but damm.
Hoping the Pirates do NOT go after him.
Guess no one liked him enough to bang trash cans for him
Someone will take a flyer on him in the hope of a post season run
The Rockies should give Abreu a shot. He’s a good guy and maybe his bat will come alive at Coors Field. Good luck to him in the future.
Rockies r always rebuilding what good is it for them to have a 37 year old has been they already have Bryant they don’t need another .150 hitter lmao this would make no sense
Ouch replaced by cooper Hummel
Pirates go get him!
1B production has been iffy at best. Rowdy has stepped up his bat in recent weeks but hasn’t been playing as much. you are going to be hard pressed to find a guy at this price point that has had great success semi-recently.
Trade Rowdy for anything sign Jose use Joe and Jose at first.
worst case he takes innings away from one of the first base prospects (the pirates have none any where close). Best case they have an all star first basemen in 24 and 25 at a bargain price.