The recent news of the Houston Astros signing Jose Altuve to a five-year, $125 million extension has sent shockwaves through the baseball world. Altuve, a beloved figure in Houston and one of the most talented players in the game, has solidified his place as a cornerstone of the Astros franchise.
This extension not only secures Altuve's future with the team but also demonstrates the Astros' commitment to building a winning organization. With this move, they have shown their dedication to keeping their star players and investing in long-term success.
The deal, which includes a $15 million signing bonus, begins after the current season and gives Altuve annual salaries of $30 million a year from 2025-27 and $10 million each in 2028 and 2029.
He’ll earn a $26 million for 2024 under a previous contract that would have expired after this season.
It’s the third extension for Altuve, who has spent his entire career with the Astros.
Altuve, who turns 34 in May, has led the American League in hits four times, batting three times, and stolen bases twice.
Altuve was one of four key Astros players facing free agency in the next two years. That list includes third baseman Alex Bregman, who is scheduled to be a free agent after this season. Right fielder Kyle Tucker and left-hander Framber Valdez, a pair of two-time All-Stars, are set to become free agents after the 2025 season.
“Every one of these guys is a different situation,” Crane said. “We’ll certainly visit with Bregman when the time comes and move onto the next deal. … We’ve got [Tucker] for two more years, so we’re just going to let him play and see how he does.”
Altuve’s extension won’t affect their salary commitments for 2024, but he’ll now add a $15MM signing bonus to their ledger. Houston already had a franchise-record level of spending with a projected 2024 payroll approaching $240MM, per Roster Resource. The signing bonus will push their actual spending obligations towards the $250MM mark.
Houston is already well into luxury tax territory, but the deal’s $25MM average annual value won’t count against their CBT obligations until 2025. They now have upwards of $115MM on the books for ’25 and over $100MM in commitments to Altuve, Alvarez, Javier, Josh Hader and Lance McCullers Jr. for 2026.
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