Houston Astros release ex-MVP José Abreu, $30 million eating

Houston Astros release ex-MVP José Abreu, eating $30 million contract after disappointing performance, leaving team in need of productive first baseman.

The Houston Astros made a bold move less than two years ago when they won the bidding war for former American League MVP Jose Abreu. However, on Friday afternoon, they faced the harsh reality of their costly mistake as they released Abreu halfway through his lucrative three-year, $58.5 million contract, shelling out approximately $30 million to part ways with him.

Abreu's performance on the field was a major disappointment, with a batting average of just .124, two home runs, and seven RBIs. Despite spending time at the team's minor-league complex to work on his swing, Abreu failed to deliver. The Astros will be responsible for paying the remainder of his $19.5 million salary for this year and next.

This decision marks the largest amount of money the Astros have ever had to eat on a contract. With Abreu's negative 1.6 WAR, it could potentially go down as one of the worst contracts in franchise history. The 37-year-old struggled significantly this season, hitting just 7-for-71 before being sent to the minors. Even upon his return, he managed only a .167 batting average in 43 plate appearances.

Despite his past success with the Chicago White Sox, where he received MVP votes in seven seasons and won the 2020 AL MVP award, Abreu failed to live up to expectations with the Astros. The team had high hopes for him when they signed him to a three-year deal, but his performance fell far short of their expectations.

Moving forward, any team looking to sign Abreu will only have to pay the prorated minimum salary of $740,000, with the Astros covering the rest. As the Astros continue to struggle with their first basemen hitting just .181 with a .262 on-base percentage and .291 slugging percentage, they are in desperate need of a productive hitter to help propel them to the ALCS for an eighth consecutive year.

The release of Abreu serves as a costly lesson for the Astros, highlighting the risks involved in signing high-profile players to lucrative contracts. Despite their best intentions, sometimes things simply do not work out as planned in the world of professional sports.