The Houston Astros have made the difficult decision to release first baseman José Abreu, the team announced on Friday. Despite signing a three-year free agency contract worth $58.5 million in 2022, Abreu still has over $30 million remaining on that contract.
Despite this, Houston has chosen to absorb the cost of releasing Abreu. This move comes after Abreu was demoted to the minors in April following a poor start to the season where he was batting a mere 0.099. Throughout this season, he has struggled significantly and managed only a .124 average with a .361 OPS and two home runs. This marks a decline from his performance with the Chicago White Sox, where he had a .304 average in 2022 before joining the Astros.
The Astros currently find themselves in third place in the struggling AL West division with a record of 31-38. However, despite parting ways with Abreu, the team remains hopeful and will continue to push forward in hopes of improving their standing in the league.
