Astros’ new general manager Dana Brown has already expressed his desire to keep second baseman Jose Altuve and third baseman Alex Bregman in Houston for the duration of their careers. While both are set to join free agency after the 2024 season, it doesn’t look like new deals are coming anytime soon. Rather, it appears the Astros may wait until the offseason to finalize a deal.
“It’s probably going to be more like next year,” Brown told the Houston Chronicle’s Chandler Rome. “We’ve made it clear that we want to keep them both close. This is part of getting through (2025), reaching (2026), having a little more time to fill up the system without revising the roster.”
Brown, who was named Houston general manager in January, was hired by the Atlanta Braves. The Braves, of course, have earned a reputation for signing their best players for long-term renewals, often early in their careers. Brown struck a Braves-like deal early in his tenure, locking right-hander Cristian Javier on a Five-year pact valued at $64 million.
Brown has since tried it too extend contracts by outfielder Kyle Tucker and Lefty Framber Valdez, albeit without success.
While these extension efforts aim to gain cost certainty through these players’ expected statistical primes, tying Altuve or Bregman would be about securing the remainder of their post-prime runs. Altuve will celebrate his 33rd birthday in May while Bregman will be 29 later this month. At least for Altuve, this could be his final contract.
“These guys should back off from here,” Brown claimed to the Associated Press that he told Agent Scott Boras, the representative for Altuve and Bregman. “You should be in Houston for life, man.”
Brown still has plenty of time to stand by his words. Just don’t expect him to do them well anytime soon.