Astros sign Altuve 4/12.5

[jjkoestler]

MLB.com's Brian McTaggart reports the Astros have reached a four-year, $12.5 million extension with Jose Altuve.

CBS Sports' Jon Heyman provided the financial details, while FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal adds that the deal includes two club options at $6 million and $6.5 million. Altuve, 23, is batting .280/.317/.354 with 21 steals this season and was under team control through 2017. The Astros will buy out all of his arbitration years and one or two years of free agency.

[dlk9s]

Seems like a very nice deal for the Astros to me.

[brewcrewdue80]

Segura is around 1 year behind Altuve for a career and this could go a long way in giving out a similar contract extension. Both All-Stars their first full year. Both showing pop that year and Speed on the Basepaths. Both with lower than ideal BB Rates. Segura has a little more pop and a higher batting line thus far, but still a lot of games to go.

 

As a Brewer Fan, this is good because, I can suddenly see a Segura Extension coming this time next year like Altuve's but probably 1mil more a year so 4/16.5 and 7/7.5 options. At least if the contract negotiations hinge on what Altuve (most recently,similar signed player) was signed to.

 

Anything where year's 7/8 for Segura remain under 10mil will be a steal.

[sveumrules]

Altuve : 1248 PA, 284/325/377, 2.4 WAR

Segura : 559 PA, 302/344/437, 2.8 WAR

 

Segura's career triple slash is better across the board than Altuve, who has no hope of adding power to his resume. Throw in that he is a shortstop and I just don't see Altuve being a realistic comp for a potential Jean extenion.

[torts]

almost as good of a deal as Tabata's 7/16 mil deal with the pirates

[jerichoholicninja]

I'm not saying it's a bad deal but is Altuve really worth locking up? It's not a lot of money for not very long but he just doesn't seem to me like someone you build around. I think most of his hype is because he's so short.

[dlk9s]

Nothing wrong with locking up a good player on the cheap. He's not upper-echelon or anything, but he's definitely solid. Even if he fizzles, that contract is nothing in the economy of MLB.

 

I'd happily take Altuve on the Brewers for that contract.

[DuWayne Steurer]

Yeah.......really not a comp for Segura, and a puzzling move, honestly. Altuve will struggle to put up a .750 OPS, ever, because he lacks power, and doesn't take walks. He's a negative defensive WAR as well, so I just don't get the hype about this guy, other than he's teensy-weensy, and hit .290 last year. Simply no reason to lock him up, even if it was on the cheap. They may save a few bucks, but honestly, if you're not looking to make an upgrade from a guy like Altuve within a few years, you don't have any kind of plan that involves contention.

[brewcrewdue80]

Not to bust anyone's balls or anything when downplaying my comparison of Altuve to Segura. Both played briefly before seeing a fullseason. Altuve last year. Segura this year. So comparing Segura today to Altuve's career numbers I want to point this out.

 

Altuve had a .303/.344/.438/.783 slash line at the All Star Break last year. Including 5 HRs out of the 7 he hit all season.

Segura now at .325/.363/.487/.849 slash line at All Star Break this year. 11HRs. But only 1 in the last month.

 

What Segura is doing thus far this season is exactly what Altuve was doing thus far last season. So when/if Segura continues to hit 10HRs each half a season, then yeah the comparison is low for Segura. Segura Walks less than Altuve fyi. So Segura's only upbeat on Altuve is a better defense and more power. What if the power doesn't remain? Let's say Segura hits 2-4HRs rest of season.

Oh btw, Altuve is younger than Segura, by two months but still from that standpoint Houston locks him up for Ages 23-27 with 28/29 option years. This isn't a 26yr old being locked up to a cheap deal for semi marginal OPS numbers.

 

Segura's last month's of numbers: .296/.341/.356/.697OPS 124PAs 5BBs.

OPS has dropped from .918 to .849.

 

It's a small sample but it's heading in Altuve's direction. That's why I suggested the comparison. It's a matter of Games played 45 Segura 1st appearance and now 1st full season to Altuve's 57 games played first appearance then last year being full season. It's a fairly same career arc that come time to negotiate now through next year can be worked on.

 

And I'm saying this with knowing Segura is a better player overall. Altuve 4/12.5 buying out Arb years and Segura being better and trying to negotiate buying out his arb years. How much more does being better make him worth? I said 1mil a yr so would be 4/16.5 And yes Starlin Castro got 4/23 his final 4 years but Castro is/was the Cubs Face of the Franchise. The Brewers have Braun/Lucroy/Gomez to market as the faces of their franchise. Castro was it.

[monty57]

I agree bcd80. I like Segura and am very glad we got him last year. He's had a great start to this season, but I don't expect him to be a .900 OPS guy for his career... that's Ryan Braun territory. He's going to have his ups and downs like everyone, and he doesn't have enough games under his belt to determine how good he will be. We all need to step back and not put too much weight on half a season, whether it's a good half or a bad one.

 

If he'd be willing to sign a deal like the one Altuve signed (probably a little higher $ value), I'd do it in a heartbeat. If he expects a Starlin Castro type deal, I'd let him go year-to-year and make sure we have some good SS's in the low minors, because he's probably going either be traded in 4-5 years or walk as a free agent. We could really win in an Altuve-type deal, or at the worst case, it's not too big a blunder if Segura doesn't live up to his play during a couple months of this season. If we signed him to a Castro-type deal, he'd have to keep playing like he has to start this season just to "play up to" the contract. If he has a so-so career, the contract could be an albatross for many years. Just a guess, but I think Melvin approached Segura with a deal more like the Altuve deal, while Segura had a Castro-type deal in mind. Let's see if they can find a comparable middle ground.

 

As I've said before, I have no problem with players asking for the moon, and if they don't get it playing year-to-year for free agency. I just think the Brewers need to treat it as a business, realize those players are not going to re-sign, and do what's best for the franchise, which is often to trade them before they walk. Not saying this is the path Segura will take, but if it is, we as fans (and the Brewers as an organization) have to accept it.

 

As to Altuve, good for him and good for the Astros. He's a good enough player to sign to a relatively small contract like this. It keeps a fan favorite on the field at a time there isn't much to cheer about in Houston, and it is a very tradeable contract. Limited risk for the team, certainty for the player. This are the type of deal the Brewers need to look for... not multi-year, eight figure per year contracts to 30-somethings.