The Houston Astros have long been World Series contenders and one of the top teams in the MLB. That figures to be no different in 2024, as the team has the shortest championship odds of any team in the American League at +800, and they have a roster full of talent that has kept their window of contention open for nearly a decade.
Altuve Will Earn $41 Million In 2024, Most In MLB
Twelve years of service time, $300 million career earnings and still doing double play turn drills pic.twitter.com/xxAWKNq6uR
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) February 26, 2024
But there is no denying that the players on the team are both aging and becoming more expensive. While the team’s most productive offensive player in Kyle Tucker is still 27 years old and is set to earn $12 million for the coming season, many of the top producers for the Astros are on the tail ends of their careers.
High-priced pitcher Justin Verlander is 41, and Joe Abreu is 37, and the team’s most popular and recognizable player is right up there with them.
Jose Altuve has been a part of the Astros organization since making his MLB debut in 2011, and has been with the team during their rise to dominance while playing a major part in their success. And while he is still productive, coming in 5th in MVP voting last season, he will be 34 years old on May 6th, and could be in for a decline if his age becomes any kind of factor on his body.
Yamamoto Will Be Highest Paid Overall
Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto at the dugout
大谷くんと由伸くん💙 pic.twitter.com/k5EMfa93O4— Ⓕⓡⓐⓝⓒⓔⓢⓒⓐ★ (@DecoOhtani117) February 27, 2024
But he’ll be paid handsomely regardless. Altuve is entering the final season of a 7-year contract worth $163 million, and has an extension that is set to kick in next season and likely bring him all the way to the end of his career. It will be the first time in three years that he has seen a raise, as he earned a steady rate of $29 million from 2021 to 2023.
That number will kick up a bit for the upcoming season, as the second baseman will be paid $41 million in 2024, which represents the highest cash value of any position player. Newly signed Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamot0 will be the highest paid player overall, as the Dodgers are set to dole out a whopping $55 million for the first year of his services.
Aaron Judge, Anthoyn Rendon, and Carlos Correa are the next-highest paid position players.