$125 million extension could mean Jose Altuve plays whole career for Astros
Jose Altuve is one of the all-time great Houston Astros, and now he seems destined to play his entire career with the franchise. The Astros announced on Tuesday that they have signed the second basemen to a five-year contract extension that will pay him $125 million, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.
Altuve was set to become a free agent after this season.
The 33-year-old Altuve made his debut with the Astros during the 2011 season when they were one of the worst teams in baseball and going through a massive rebuild. His arrival was one of the first turning points in the franchise, and in the 13 years since, he has helped turn the Astros into one of baseball's best teams.
They have appeared in seven consecutive American League Championship Series, reaching the World Series four times. They won it during the 2017 and 2022 seasons.
Altuve has been one of the driving forces behind that run. During his career, he has already won three American League batting titles (2014, 2016 and 2017) and an AL MVP (2017). He has also maintained a .307 batting average for his career and an .834 OPS. Even in his age-33 season, he still hit near an All-Star level with a .311 average and a .915 OPS which was the fourth-highest mark of his career.
Altuve could still have a few more top-level seasons ahead of him. Now we know they are going to happen in Houston.
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