HIDDEN COST REPORT
Money over merit: Exploring Jose Abreu's true cost for the Houston Astros
May 29, 2024, 2:41 pm
This is a bad look. Composite Getty Image.
Since rejoining the Astros this week, Jose Abreu has gone 1-6 at the plate, boosting his batting average from an abysmal .099 to a horrid .105 while making a mess of playing first base. This was after going 0-7 at Triple A Sugar Land last week.
And the Astros have dropped both games in Seattle against the division-leading Mariners since Abreu’s been back.
You’ll notice that the Astros recalled Abreu while on the road – you think to avoid the embarrassment of fans boo’ing him at Minute Maid Park? Of course the Astros are aware of their fans' smoldering disgust with Abreu.
It’d be unfair to jeer Abreu, actually. He’s trying. He just can’t do it anymore. He’s washed. What do fans expect, Abreu to retire from baseball and tell the Astros they don’t have to pay the $30+ million still on his contract? Ain’t gonna happen. Contracts are guaranteed in baseball and even if Abreu would be OK with ripping up the deal, the players union would refuse to let the Astros off the hook for the money.
If you want to blame somebody for the Abreu disaster, point a finger at Astros owner Jim Crane for OK’ing the deal to sign him, point another finger at Crane-whisperer Jeff Bagwell for brokering the deal, and a pinky at general manager Dana Brown for supporting the idea of bringing Abreu back to the big leagues.
At least Brown appears to be an Abreu backer. Although he should think twice before making ridiculous comments about Abreu. Explaining why he thought Abreu was ready to face Major League pitching despite going 0-7 including three strikeouts and hitting into a double play, Brown said, with a straight face, “It’s not really about the hits. We want to make sure he’s getting quality at bats.”
Three strikeouts in seven at bats? Grounding into a double play? Quality at bats?
This is how they play baseball in the Bizarro World. It’s not really about hits? How about the final score of games? Do those matter? Because the Astros have lost both games since Abreu rejoined the team.
This is the same Dana Brown who said the Astros were sending Joey Loperfido back to the minors because he strikes out too much. Checking the back of Loperfido’s baseball card (Brown’s favorite hobby), the rookie batted .333 with 13 hits in 39 at bats during his stay with the Astros. Abreu has eight hits in 77 at bats.
Wait I forgot, it’s not really about the hits.
So what is really about? It’s the money. The Astros signed Abreu to a $58.5 million contract before last season. The contract has all this season plus next season on the books.
Playing someone just because you’re paying him stupid money is an idiotic reason. Jose Abreu was awful last season, and this year he’s taking awful to new lows. He is hurting the team. Everybody can see it. Well, almost everybody.
Fans sure see it. If they can’t boo Abreu at Minute Maid Park this week, they can unload on X (formerly Twitter). Here are some of the kinder comments.
“Please just end the Jose Abreu experiment.”
“You have to get Jose Abreu off this team.”
“This team deserves every loss it gets as long as it continues to play Jose Abreu at first base.”
“He is straight up cancer to the team.”
So what is the solution? The team said it struggled deciding what to do to make room for Abreu rejoining the team. They decided on sending Loperfido back to the minors.
The right answer what to do about Abreu – then and now - is staring them in the face and they refuse to accept it.
Suck it up and pay Abreu to stay away.
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NFL insiders hint at eye-opening future for Houston Texans offense
Dec 7, 2024, 2:38 pm
C.J. Stroud faced criticism in Houston's last few games as the Texans hit a rough patch after losing just two of their first eight games.
But the second-year quarterback remained confident and his strong performance last Sunday helped the Texans (8-5) to a 23-20 win over the Jaguars to enter their bye with a two-game lead atop the AFC South.
“When he is leading and playing the way he is playing, our entire team feeds off of him,” coach DeMeco Ryans said. “I am excited for his second year. I think he is showing a ton of growth, he is in a really great spot for us physically, mentally. I really love where he is and I am excited to see how he comes back after the break.”
Stroud threw for 242 yards and a touchdown against Jacksonville to leave him ranked fourth in the NFL with 3,117 yards passing this season. That game came after he threw two interceptions in a 32-27 loss to Tennessee a week before for the team’s third loss in four games.
Those two interceptions brought his season total to nine, which are four more than he threw in 15 games a rookie. But the Texans aren’t worried about that statistic and believe he has grown in his second year.
“He’s made a lot of progress,” general manager Nick Caserio said. “There are some plays, like all of our players, that we probably wish he could have back, but happy he’s our quarterback, happy with what he brings to the table. ... Wouldn’t want anyone else leading this team.”
The Texans are in position to win their division for a second straight season despite dealing with several significant injuries on offense. Running back Joe Mixon missed three games early with an ankle injury and leading receiver Nico Collins was sidelined for five games with a hamstring injury.
They also lost four-time Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs for the season when tore an ACL in Week 8.
Mixon leads the team with 887 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns and has added four touchdown receptions. His work in his first season in Houston after a trade from Cincinnati has helped the team deal with those significant injuries to the receiving corps.
Mixon ranks third in the NFL by averaging 88.7 yards rushing a game and has had at least 100 yards rushing in seven games.
Stroud has continually raved about Mixon’s contributions on and off the field.
“He’s a servant, a helper,” Stroud said. “That’s ultimately what I want to be as well. Who can I serve and how can I help? That’s ultimately what the game of football is.”
While Mixon has been the team’s most important new acquisition on offense, Danielle Hunter has been Houston’s new defensive star. The defensive end spent his first eight seasons in Minnesota before joining the Texans this year.
He has helped Houston lead the NFL with 84 tackles for loss after piling up 15 this season, which is tied for third most in the league. He also leads the Texans with 10½ sacks to help them rank second with 42.
Hunter been a great addition to a team that already had defensive end Will Anderson Jr., last year’s AP Defensive Rookie of the Year. Anderson ranks second to Hunter on the team with 13 tackles for loss and 9½ sacks.
Ryans said this week’s break is much needed for a team that opened the preseason on Aug. 1 in the Hall of Fame game.
“It’s here and we’re going to take advantage of it,” he said. “We’ve been going at it for a long time.”
The Texans need to recharge this week with a brutal stretch of three games in 10 days when they return from their bye. Houston hosts Miami on Dec. 15 before a trip to Kansas City on Dec. 21 and a visit from the Ravens on Christmas Day.
“It’s Christmas and all that, but we can’t worry about that. All we can do is focus on Miami,” Caserio said. “And then when we get through the Miami game, then we kind of turn the page to the next. ... We’re either going to earn it or we’re not. Not to oversimplify it, but that’s the truth.”
The Texans will play those game without starting linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair after he received a three-game suspension for his violent hit to the head of Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence, which led to a concussion.
Al-Shaair will be eligible to return for Houston’s regular-season finale against Tennessee.