The Houston Astros tried to be patient with Jose Abreu. Unfortunately, things did not pan out as they wanted.
The Astros decided to let go of the former American League MVP a month after sending him to the minors and then getting him back up as they tried to fill holes left by injured players.
The club said it was a difficult decision since the third baseman has been valuable to them since arriving on the team last year.
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"Very tough day," manager Joe Espada said. "It was not an easy conversation. José Abreu has meant (a lot) to this organization, helping us get to another championship series last year. And with what he's done in this game, it was not easy."
General manager Dana Brown explained that Abreu's release is a tough decision, but it is necessary for the team to compete.
"Ultimately when guys lose their timing, you look for them to go down and to regain their timing and to get on time with the baseball to have quality at-bats and things like that," Brown said. "And we just didn't see it. We didn't see that there was a change in the at-bats and we felt like it was probably time to make a change."
Jose Abreu's minors stint
Abreu played seven games in the minors in April, hoping to rediscover his All-Star form.
He was sent there to fix his swing, and the Astros gravely needed him to be dominant again. They are 12th in the American League standings and third in the AL West.
When the decision was made, he hit .099/.156/.113 in the first 22 games of the season.
Last year, his career-low was .237, with 18 homers and 90 RBIs.
Abreu, 37, cooperated with the front office's decision, even though the right personnel had already surrounded him to make a successful return.
"We all have a good group and we found it. I hope I can show it right away, but it's baseball and it's a process. Hopefully I can get there," he said last month.
Jose Abreu contract to be paid by Astros
Another reason Jose Abreu's release is difficult for the Astros is the $30 million contract attached to his name.
The club will still have to pay the three-time All-Star $30,822,504, which is still part of the $58 million contract he signed in November 2022.
He will receive $11,322,504 this season and $19.5 million for 2025.
What if another team signs him? The Astros will still be the ones to pay his salary.
His next club must only pay Abreu a prorated share of the $740,000 major league minimum, while the Astros will still be responsible for the rest.
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