José Altuve, Houston’s Little Big Man, Gets Hefty Contract Extension
Source: forbes.com
The shortest man in the major leagues is getting a contract extension that belies his size.
The Houston Astros announced Tuesday they have given second baseman and leadoff man José Altuve a five-year, $125 million guarantee that extends through 2029.
The deal, which includes a $15 million signing bonus, begins after the current season and gives Altuve annual salaries of $30 million a year from 2025-27 and $10 million each in 2028 and 2029.
He’ll earn a $26 million for 2024 under a previous contract that would have expired after this season.
It’s the third extension for Altuve, who has spent his entire career with the Astros.
Altuve, who turns 34 in May, has led the American League in hits four times, batting three times, and stolen bases twice.
The Venezuelan infielder, generously listed at 5’6″ tall, has scored 100 runs in four different seasons and has a single-season high of 31 home runs.
The eight-time All-Star has won six Silver Sluggers and two World Series rings. But his figures declined last year after he missed the first two months of the season when his thumb was broken during the World Baseball Classic.
He also missed time later with an oblique strain but still hit .335 over the second half to help the Astros reach the American League Championship Series for the seventh straight season.
The little right-handed hitter broke into the majors in 2011, then became a regular the following year. He is considered “the Face of the Franchise” by Houston fans but reviled by rivals for his alleged participation in the team’s electronic sign-stealing scheme during the 2017 World Series.
Read more at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/danschlossberg/2024/02/06/jose-altuve-houstons-little-big-man-gets-hefty-contract-extension/?sh=28fc9aca662a
