Houston Astros Release Former MVP José Abreu

José Abreu (79) of the Houston Astros hits a home run in the ninth inning against the Minnesota Twins during Game Three of the Division Series at Target Field in Minneapolis on Oct. 10, 2023. (David Berding/Getty Images)

José Abreu, the 2020 American League MVP, was released by the Houston Astros on Friday amid season-long struggles both at the plate and in the field. The 37-year-old first baseman was hitting .124, with just two home runs and seven RBI across 35 games. Abreu also committed three errors, and his .989 fielding percentage was the worst mark of his 11-year career. Among the 330 Major League baseball players with at least 100 plate appearances this season, Abreu’s .124 batting average ranked 328th.

The 2024 season has been a series of demotions for Abreu as he began the year in a coveted middle-of-the-lineup position, hitting fifth. After going 0 for 7 in his first two games, he then dropped to sixth, and then after posting a .105 batting average through six games, he was dropped to seventh. Five days later, and with him hitting only .059 on the year, he was slotted eighth in the lineup, which ended up being the spot he accumulated his most plate appearances all season.

Abreu received an official demotion in late April, when he and the Astros mutually agreed he would leave the big league club and head back to the organization’s Spring Training facility in Florida to work on his timing at the plate. Abreu was hitting .099 at the time, with only seven hits in 61 at-bats. In Florida, he played with Houston’s rookie-level affiliate, the Florida Complex League Astros, where he showed improvement and hit .318 over 22 at-bats. He then moved to Houston’s Triple-A affiliate, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys, where he was hitless in seven at-bats before being called back up to the big league club in late May.

However, the same struggles Abreu had before the demotion appeared in his second go-around. In his 13 games since the call-up, Abreu hit just .167, accumulating more strikeouts (10) than base hits (seven). His last game came on Wednesday where he went 0 for 3 and grounded into a double play.

His struggles have been a microcosm of the Astros’ struggles as a whole this season. The team has made seven straight American League Championship Series, appearing in four World Series during that span and winning twice, but they sit below .500 at the time of Abreu’s release. Houston is on pace for its worst record since the 2014 season.

Astros manager Joe Espada commented on the decision to move on from the veteran first baseman on Friday.

“We wanted to give José Abreu every opportunity, because I think he’s earned that,” stated Espada. “We wanted him to succeed, because he’s a big part of our team. But right now, it’s just time to move on, and we have other guys that are here to take over that spot, and we need those guys to step up and produce for our lineup.”

In a corresponding move to replace Abreu’s spot on the 25-man roster, the Astros called up Cooper Hummel from Triple-A. Hummel played some first base for the Space Cowboys and was hitting .301 in the minors with seven home runs and 31 RBI.

Abreu joined the Astros in 2023, replacing longtime first baseman Yuli Gurriel. The former’s first season in Houston was also below expectations but he performed well enough to stick in the lineup and produce when it mattered the most. Abreu hit .237 last season, after entering the year as a career .292 hitter, with 18 home runs and 90 RBI. That batting average was the worst mark of his career, prior to the 2024 season.

However, Abreu’s bat returned to his normal level of production in the postseason as he hit .296 across 11 games, helping the Astros come within one game of advancing to the World Series. He hit two home runs in a Game 3 ALDS win over the Minnesota Twins and then hit another homer in a Game 4 victory that ended up being a game winner.

His impact went beyond the field as he also was a veteran presence in the clubhouse. Mauricio Dubon, a teammate of his for the last year-plus, talked about the effect of the team moving on from Abreu.

“It’s devastating. He’s a good clubhouse guy. Obviously, he seems quiet around you guys,” Dubon said to reporters. “But he’s very vocal to the teammates about giving advice to the young guys and how he views the game. He’s an MVP. He has a lot to give to the young guys. Just watching him go is a gut punch.

“We’re a family here, that’s the thing. It’s a gut punch for the vibe in the clubhouse. Just watching him go is not good.”

Abreu’s MVP season came in 2020 while with the Chicago White Sox during the pandemic-shortened season. He hit .317, led the AL in RBI (60), hits (76) and total bases (148), while finishing second in home runs (19). For his career, Abreu has 263 home runs and 960 RBI, both of which rank in the top five in MLB history among Cuban-born players. He’s also a three-time All-Star, a three-time Silver Slugger winner and was the 2014 AL Rookie of the Year.