The Houston Astros are one of baseball's teams to beat as the 2025 MLB All-Star festivities loom. Strong performances throughout June and July have left the Astros with an AL West-leading 55-37 record through 92 games, which also places them only 3.5 games behind the Detroit Tigers for the top spot in all of Major League Baseball.
With the action temporarily dying down in the coming days, now is the perfect time for Astros fans to refresh themselves on how the club's former players are performing. Although some ex-Houston players are finding success in new environments this season, one of the franchise's recent first basemen still can't even find a job in July.
Former Astros 1B/DH Jose Abreu is Still Looking for a Job in July
When it comes to the several former Astros without contracts at the moment, veteran slugger Jose Abreu is one of the more notable names on the list.
It's easy to remember how excited Astros fans were when Abreu signed a three-year, $58.5 million contract with the franchise in November 2022. The former AL MVP was coming off a terrific nine-year run with the Chicago White Sox that saw him rack up 243 home runs, 863 RBIs, 386 walks, a .292/.354/.506 slash line, as well as three All-Star appearances, a trio of Silver Slugger awards, and his 2020 AL MVP win.
Unfortunately, that isn't the player who suited up for the Astros. Abreu was clearly a regressed version of himself during his time in Houston, and things only became worse as time went on. Between his two Astros campaigns, the 38-year-old veteran only mustered 20 HRs, 97 RBIs, and 46 walks while slashing .217.275/.351 in 176 games. He only played 35 games in 2024 before he was released from his contract despite the club owing him $30.8 million.
It's been over a year since Abreu last played for the Astros, and he's yet to find a new contract. He played winter baseball with the Senadores de San Juan in Puerto Rico; however, that didn't exactly open the door to any new MLB opportunities.
With it being near the middle of July, it's incredibly unlikely that Abreu will play in the MLB this season. There's been little buzz around his name since his Astros departure, and it's hard to imagine that changing without any recent tap on him, especially with how poorly he performed last year.
At this point, it's fair to assume that the failed Astros signing's MLB career is over. Abreu certainly reached higher highs than a lot of players experience, but his rapid decline will likely cause his career to end on a whimper.