Houston Astros Sign José Altuve to Extension, Secure Franchise Centerpiece 'For Life'
The Houston Astros have signed second baseman José Altuve to a multi-year contract extension that will keep him with the franchise "for life," the team announced Tuesday night.
Altuve was entering the final year of the seven-year, $163.5 million deal he signed with Houston in 2018. The soon-to-be 34-year-old will still make his scheduled $29 million in 2024, and this new extension will kick in at the start of 2025.
According to USA Today's Bob Nightengale, Altuve will make $125 million over the next five years. On top of a $15 million signing bonus, Altuve is guaranteed $30 million each year from 2025 to 2027, then $10 million in 2028 and $10 million in 2029.
By the end of his contract – at which point he will be 39 years old – Altuve will have made roughly $286 million in his MLB career.
Altuve signed with the Astros out of Venezuela in 2007. He made his big league debut in 2011 and has been Houston's everyday starting second baseman since 2012.
Over the course of his storied career, Altuve has racked up 2,047 hits, 209 home runs, 747 RBI, 293 stolen bases and a 49.3 WAR. The 5-foot-6 slugger is a .307 lifetime hitter with an .834 OPS since entering the league.
Altuve won AL MVP in 2017, which the same year he won his third of three AL batting titles and first of two World Series championships. He is an eight-time All-Star, six-time Silver Slugger and one-time Gold Glove winner.
At his current pace, Altuve would be expected to reach 3,000 hits late in the 2029 regular season. Reaching that milestone would place Altuve is some historically exclusive company, but he might already have a Hall of Fame resume as it stands.
Now, Altuve will get to pad his stats and ride off into the sunset with the constantly-contending Astros, all while being compensated handsomely in return.
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