José Abreu, the 2020 American League MVP, was released by the Houston Astros on Friday amid season-long struggles both at the plate and in the field. The 37-year-old first baseman was hitting .124, with just two home runs and seven RBI across 35 games. Abreu also committed three errors, and his .989 fielding percentage was the worst mark of his 11-year career. Among the 330 Major League baseball players with at least 100 plate appearances this season, Abreu’s .124 batting average ranked 328th.
The 2024 season has been a series of demotions for Abreu as he began the year in a coveted middle-of-the-lineup position, hitting fifth. After going 0 for 7 in his first two games, he then dropped to sixth, and then after posting a .105 batting average through six games, he was dropped to seventh. Five days later, and with him hitting only .059 on the year, he was slotted eighth in the lineup, which ended up being the spot he accumulated his most plate appearances all season.
