Jose Altuve DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Houston Astros manager Joe Espada said on Wednesday that second baseman Jose Altuve will play the outfield in his first Grapefruit League game. Altuve will work exclusively with the outfielders the next four to five days. Even though the Astros didn't re-sign Alex Bregman, it looks like the 34-year-old All-Star could still make the move to left field for Houston in 2025. If that were to happen, Mauricio Dubon would be the favorite to take over regularly at second base, with the recently-signed Brendan Rodgers also an option at the keystone. Fantasy-wise, regression could be coming for Altuve, although he still managed to hit 20 home runs and steal 22 bases last year. Adding outfield eligibility would certainly make him a bit more attractive in fantasy drafts. He hit .295 in 153 games in 2024, but with an xBA nearly 30 points lower. He ranks as RotoBaller's No. 4 fantasy second baseman.

Houston Astros manager Joe Espada said that second baseman Jose Altuve has been working in left field for the last couple of weeks and is also still taking ground balls at second base. "I'm not going to commit to a number of games, but that's something that we are looking at to create some flexibility," Espada said. Even if the Astros don't re-sign third baseman Alex Bregman, which would likely push Isaac Paredes to second base, it sounds as though the team is considering using Altuve in the outfield in 2025. The 34-year-old Altuve holds Bregman in high regard, so he's fully on board with a position switch if it means Bregman returns to the organization. Although Altuve's defensive metrics have declined at the keystone, he has never played left field in his career. Altuve had just a .789 OPS in 2024 but did hit 20 homers and steal 22 bases. Adding outfield eligibility would be a slight boost to his fantasy value in 2025.

According to Chandler Rome of The Athletic, Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve is willing to move to the outfield for the team to re-sign third baseman Alex Bregman. Rome noted that Altuve expressed he is willing to do what is asked to keep Bregman in Houston. If Bregman were to re-sign in Houston, Isaac Paredes would then shift to the keystone, moving Altuve to left field. Earlier this week, the Astros re-engaged in talks with Bregman, which is keeping the door open. In addition, earlier on Sunday, the team traded relief pitcher Ryan Pressly to the Chicago Cubs, opening up additional salary for Bregman. The Toronto Blue Jays, Cubs, and Boston Red Sox are among the teams that have expressed interest in signing Bregman. Altuve is already viewed as one of the top second basemen in fantasy baseball but would gain more value if he had outfield eligibility. If he were to shift to left field, Mauricio Dubon would likely move to a bench role.