Jose Altuve urges Astros to 'pay back' Alex Bregman with new contract

Oct. 3 (UPI) -- Alex Bregman's long tenure with the Houston Astros could be coming to an end, but longtime teammate Jose Altuve is urging the franchise to "pay back" the veteran third baseman for his contributions with a new contract.

"He gave a lot to this organization," Altuve told reporters after the Detroit Tigers eliminated the Astros from the playoffs Wednesday in Houston. "Now it's time for us, as a team, as an organization, to pay him back and make him stay here."

Bregman, 30, joined the franchise as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 MLB Draft. The two-time All-Star went on to win two titles with the Astros. He twice finished inside the Top 5 in American League MVP voting, including a second-place finish in 2019, when he hit .296 with a career-high 41 home runs and 112 RBIs.

Bregman signed a five-year, $100 million extension with the Astros in 2019. He made $30.5 million in each of the last two seasons.

Bregman hit .260 -- his second-lowest average for a 162-game season -- over 145 appearances in 2024. He also recorded 26 home runs -- the third-highest-total of his career.

Altuve, Bregman's teammate for nine seasons, told reporters that he didn't "want to think about" Wednesday potentially being his last game playing alongside the third baseman.

"I'm pretty confident he is going to be our third baseman next year," Altuve said. "We have to. We aren't going to be the same organization without him. In my mind, there is not a chance that this was the last game."

Bregman, who wrote "Thank you Houston" Wednesday on X, said he "didn't have a chance to process" his future with the Astros. He responded with "I hope so," when asked about his desire to return.

"I've been fortunate enough to win a lot here over the last nine years," Bregman said. "It's been an honor to play in front of these fans and compete for this city."

Bregman made his MLB debut in the middle of the 2016 season. He went on to help the Astros win the World Series a season later. Bregman, Altuve and the Astros advanced to the American League Championship Series every year from 2017 through 2023.

Several key players from that run have departed in free agency in recent years, including shortstop Carlos Correa and outfielder George Springer. The Astros still managed to win the World Series without those All-Stars in 2022.

Bregman ranks No. 6 in Astros history with 191 home runs. He ranks No. 7 in doubles (265), No. 8 in runs scored (694) and No. 9 in total bases (2,006), RBIs (663), runs created (757) and bases on balls (576).

He has the eighth-best WAR (39.6 wins above replacement) among positions players in Astros history. His 6.5 defensive WAR is the seventh-best in franchise history.

"He means a lot," Altuve said of Bregman. "He gave a lot to this organization. Now it's time for us, as a team and organization, to pay him back and make him stay here."

Altuve ranks inside the Top 3 in franchise history in several categories, including WAR among position players, batting average, at-bats, plate appearances, runs scored, hits, total bases, stolen bases and times on base.

The 34-year-old second baseman, and former MVP, signed a five-year, $125 million extension with the Astros in February. He is set to make $32.5 million for each of the next three seasons. His salary will drop to $12.5 million and $10 million in 2028 and 2029, respectively.