Altuve: Astros 'need to start working on' extending Peña

Houston Astros star Jose Altuve hopes Jeremy Peña remains with the franchise for the long haul.

"He's a very valuable player for us, and I'm very surprised he's not signing to a long-term deal with the Astros," Altuve said Monday, according to The Athletic's Chandler Rome. "He's a guy you want in your team for the long term. (Astros general manager) Dana Brown and (owner) Mr. Crane need to start working on it."

Peña made his MLB debut in 2022 after the Astros picked him in the third round of the 2018 draft. He made an instant impact, winning ALCS and World Series MVP honors as Houston won its second championship in franchise history.

The 27-year-old emerged as a plus defender at shortstop over the past few seasons but was below average at the plate (97 OPS+) across the 2023 and 2024 campaigns.

Peña is off to a great start in 2025, ranking fourth among all MLB shortstops with 1.0 fWAR. He owns a 108 wRC+ with three home runs, 13 runs scored, 11 RBIs, and five stolen bases across 27 games.

Peña has two more years of arbitration following this season and is scheduled to become a free agent at the conclusion of the 2027 campaign.