Scott Boras, 71, advises his clients to hit the free agent market whenever possible. The longer you’re on the market, the more competition there is, and the higher the price tag. Boras, whose guiding principle is to maximize his clients’ profits, has yet to sign any of the top free agents this winter, including Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery, Cody Bellinger, and Matt Chapman.
But there’s one player Boras hasn’t let go of. That would be second baseman Jose Altuve, 33, who signed a three-year extension with the Houston Astros. Houston announced the five-year, $125 million extension with Altuve on Sunday. The deal covers the years 2025 through 2029. Altuve, who was set to become a free agent after this season, waived his option and signed with Houston through his age-39 season.
This is the third extension for Altuve.
He first signed a four-year, $12.5 million extension with the Astros in July 2013, and in March 2018, a year after winning the American League (AL) MVP award, 토토사이트 he signed a five-year, $151 million extension before the season. With two seasons left before free agency, Altuve showed his loyalty to the team by staying in Houston.
According to MLB.com, Houston owner Jim Crane said, “Altuve is a franchise player and one of the best players in Houston history. I hope he’s in the Hall of Fame one day.” “This is a great signing. Altuve has been here since I first came to the team in 2011. We are the only two people who have been here this long. It means a lot to the franchise that he wants to retire here. It means a lot to him and it means a lot to the fans. We hope he finishes his career in Houston.”
Altuve, a right-handed hitting infielder from Venezuela, is the shortest player in the major leagues at 5-foot-6 (186 centimeters). His short stature made his path to Houston difficult. He was kicked out of the Houston Academy in Venezuela, but was persuaded by then-Houston talent evaluator Al Fedrique to join the club.
When he signed as an amateur free agent with Houston on March 7, 2007, Altuve was paid just $15,000.
About $20 million less in our money. Little did anyone know that it would turn out to be the best investment in Houston’s franchise history.
Altuve came to the majors in 2011, just four years after joining the organization and at the age of 21, and became the starting second baseman in 2012, earning his first All-Star. 2014, he led the American League (AL) in batting average (.341) and RBIs (225), making him one of the league’s top players. In 2017, he led the AL in hits for the fourth straight year with more than 200, including back-to-back AL batting titles in 2016 and 2017.
2017, he won the AL MVP award after batting .590 (204-for-590) with 24 home runs, 81 RBIs, 32 doubles, and a .957 OPS in 153 games. He also led Houston to its first World Series title that year, despite an autograph-stealing controversy. He continued to be consistent as he entered his 30s, and in 2022, he won his second World Series title without stealing an autograph.
In 13 seasons, he batted .267 (6665-for-2047) with 209 home runs, 747 RBIs, 293 doubles, and an OPS of .834 in 1668 games. He was a one-time MVP, eight-time All-Star, six-time Silver Slugger, three-time batting champion, and four-time Most Valuable Player. Most notably, he is second all-time in postseason home runs (27) and led Houston to two World Series titles. Houston has been a perennial powerhouse in recent years, reaching the AL Championship Series for the seventh straight year.
Altuve is at the center of it all.
As The Athletic said, “It”s crazy to imagine Altuve on any other team. Altuve is the face and hero of Houston and has been central to the team’s rise to AL power. We’ve seen the Astros rebuild, take a beating, and rise again. Houston is all he knows, and now it will be everything to him,” said Altuve on the significance of the extension.
‘Altuve announced last spring that he wants to play until he’s 40 and has said on multiple occasions that he doesn’t want to play for any team other than Houston. Altuve’s agent, Boras, prefers to let his client test the free agent market, 파워볼실시간 but it’s clear that Altuve’s wishes took precedence. He explained that Altuve showed a strong desire to stay in Houston, saying, “He had a lot of leverage in negotiating this deal.
With the deal, Altuve will become the first Major League Baseball second baseman to earn $300 million in guaranteed career earnings. About $398 million in our money. The Athletic explained, “Altuve signed with Houston for $15,000 as an international free agent at age 16. Houston sent him home from a tryout because of his short stature, but he returned the next day at his father’s request. Since then, Altuve hasn’t left the team,” he emphasized.
If he plays through 2029, Altuve will have played 19 seasons in Houston.
He will be the second-longest tenured player in Houston behind Hall of Famer Craig Biggio (1988-2007), who was a 20-year member of the club. Altuve, who is 953 hits away from 3,000 for his career, will also become the second player in franchise history to join Biggio (3060).