Sep 26, 2025; Anaheim, California, USA; Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (27) throws to first for the out against Los Angeles Angels right fielder Jo Adell (7) during the sixth inning at Angel Stadium. Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Is the Jose Altuve Contract Going To Become Problem for Houston Astros?

Originally posted on Houston Astros on SI
By Sean O'Leary | Last updated Oct 11, 2025 10:04 AM ET

The 2025 season was one of the most disappointing for the Houston Astros since their run of dominance began. For the first time since 2016, they didn't make the playoffs. On top of that, the core that was once the best in baseball has gone its separate ways.

Before the 2024 season, the Astros signed Jose Altuve to a five-year extension worth $125 million that was set to begin in 2025. His new extension kicking in happened to coincide with his worst season since 2013, and the contract is already looking like it might have been a mistake.

Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller recently named Altuve as being the Astros 'nightmare' contract in two years time. The decline of the franchise legend could have already begun.

Altuve Remains Expensive for the Next Two Seasons

Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

The beginning of this extension is what's going to look bad for the Astros. His extension kicked in with $33 milion this season, the same number he'll get in both 2026 and 2027 before it lowers to $13 million starting in 2028.

While it is front loaded, which doesn't make it as bad as some longer term deals, Altuve's decline in 2025 began to offset that.

The 35-year-old hit .265 with a .771 OPS, 26 home runs and 77 RBIs, which doesn't look bad on the surface, but it doesn't tell the whole story. In reality, it was his worst season since 2013, not counting the shortened 2020 season.

Altuve's 112 OPS was the lowest it's been since 2013, his second full year in the majors. While that's still above average, he hasn't had an OPS+ lower than 124 in all that time. His struggles also really manifested in his bWAR, which was 0.5. That mark is the lowest of his career.

In 2024, the former MVP's defense at second base had fallen off a cliff, with a -9 outs above average, according to Baseball Savant. To avoid that problem, Houston moved him out to left field, but he was still a below average defender, with -5 OAA, which was in the 13th percentile.

Altuve is also not impacting the ball as well. His barrel rate was down from 6.5 to 6.2 this season, all while hitting the ball 85.1 mph on average, in the fourth percentile.

Altuve deserved the extension he got. One of the best players in franchise history, he's been the most consistent contributor the Astros have had. Unfortunatley, if he continues to play at the level he did in 2025, or worse, it won't be nearly good enough for how much he's being paid.

The contract shouldn't hinder the Astros from doing anything in free agency, but it will be a lot of money to pay a declining player both on offense and defense.

This article first appeared on Houston Astros on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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