Houston Astros making surprising roster decision by demoting former MVP José Abreu.
Due to José Abreu’s underwhelming performance at the start of the 2024 season, the Houston Astros have decided to send him to West Palm Beach to focus on improving his swing.
The Houston Astros have decided to send first baseman José Abreu to West Palm Beach, starting Wednesday, as confirmed by general manager Dana Brown to The Athletic’s Chandler Rome on Tuesday.
Abreu won’t be joining the Astros as they prepare for their upcoming three-game home series against the Cleveland Guardians. Instead, he will focus on refining his swing and timing with the Florida Complex League Astros.
In the Astros’ initial 29 games of this season, Abreu participated in 22 matches. During this period, he had a batting average of .099, with no home runs, three RBI, three walks, 18 strikeouts, a .269 OPS, and a -1.5 WAR.
In November 2022, Houston inked Abreu to a lucrative three-year, $58.5 million deal. Despite a slow start in 2023, he managed to bounce back, finishing the season with 18 home runs and 90 RBI, notably improving his performance from June onwards.
However, the Astros appear less patient in 2024, especially with their current position at the bottom of the AL West with a record of 9-19.
Not too long ago, Abreu was seen as a valuable addition to the reigning World Series champions, given his success during his nine-year tenure with the Chicago White Sox.
