The Houston Astros grew tired of waiting for the offensive awakening of Cuban first baseman José Abreu and released him from their Major League roster this Friday after 15 months where he never produced at the level he did with the White Sox.
The former Most Valuable Player of the American League is hitting just .124 with two home runs and seven runs batted in 35 games this season, a performance that has left a lot to be desired for the Astros, as reported by ESPN.
Abreu, 37, was unable to make the necessary adjustments to be considered an everyday player in Houston, and on April 30th, he was demoted to the Florida Complex League team of the Astros, where he played five games and two games in Triple-A Sugar Land before returning to Houston's lineup on May 27th.
However, their performance did not improve significantly.
Since signing a three-year, $58.3 million contract with Houston in November 2022, Abreu has hit .217 with 20 home runs and 97 RBIs in 176 games.
Despite these disappointing numbers, the Cuban still has $19.5 million guaranteed this season and the same amount in 2025.
Abreu was a star with the Chicago White Sox, where he was crowned American League Rookie of the Year in 2014 and was selected to the All-Star Game in 2014, 2018, and 2019.
He was also crowned MVP of the American League in the shortened 2020 season due to the pandemic after batting an amazing .317 with 19 home runs and 60 RBIs in just 60 games.
Over 11 seasons, the Cuban has hit .283 in 1,446 games with 263 home runs and 960 runs batted in for the White Sox (2014-22) and the Astros.
His 960 runs batted in since his debut in 2014 are the second highest amount in MLB in that period, surpassed only by Nolan Arenado's 1,040.
Abreu's departure from the Astros marks the end of a difficult period for the Cuban slugger in Houston.
His time in that city began with high expectations but ended in disappointment for both the player and the team.
Now, the Astros are looking for new options to strengthen their lineup while Abreu considers his next steps in his Major League career.
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