Astros Star Reflects on Life-Changing Offseason
On one hand, a lot changed for Jose Altuve this offseason. He signed a five-year, $125 million extension that will keep him with the Houston Astros through 2029 -- potentially the rest of his career. He also has a new manager (Joe Espada) and several new teammates (hello Josh Hader).
On the other hand, a lot of things are still the same for Altuve. He's getting ready for his 14th season with Houston and will once again play second base, where he's been entrenched for years. Many of his same teammates are back, including Alex Bregman, Justin Verlander and others.
Suffice it to say, reporters had a lot of questions for Altuve when he arrived at Spring Training on Sunday, and he had plenty of answers for them.
Altuve said his new contract hasn't changed much about his mentality or preparation for the upcoming season: he's still focused on getting ready to play and winning again.
He did say he feels better this year after not playing a full season last year due to injuries. Altuve only played 90 regular-season games in 2023 -- roughly half a season and his fewest in a non-pandemic season since his rookie year in 2011.
"The fact that I didn't play a full season last year, I feel like I'm more rested now," Altuve said. "I spent the whole offseason working out, preparing for Spring Training...it was more like a normal offseason."
That's an encouraging sign for Altuve, who turns 34 in May and hasn't played a full season since 2017.
Altuve also stressed the importance of continuing to learn and grow as a player and maintaining good habits, especially at his age.
"You're not 25 anymore, so you gotta do everything right to stay healthy, to go out there and help your team," Altuve said.
Overall, it sounds like Altuve is in a good place heading into Spring Training and the 2024 season, setting him up for another strong campaign.
