When the Astros — primarily, Jim Crane and Jeff Bagwell — signed José Abreu to a three-year, $58.5 million contract before the 2023 season, it was always possible, even a high likelihood, that it wouldn’t age well. I mean, Abreu will be in his age-38 season in the deal’s final season in 2025. But the hope was for Houston to extract at least some positive value in the first season or two on the front end within a contention window to justify some negative value in the last half of the contract.
Well, so much for any positive value.