Losing teammates is never a good thing. A gap in the lineup and a toll on the players’ mindset – that’s what happens. And that’s where the Houston Astros’ Jose Altuve comes to the scene. Over the years, he has established his position quite well as a veteran. Not only has he remained vocal, but his messages also carried a lot of weight. And this time, it was directed at the team’s owner and leadership. Jose Altuve #27 of the Houston Astros expressed his views, calling out the organization to extend the contract of their $4.1 million shortstop, Jeremy Pena. Altuve’s deal with the Astros will allow him to go through 2029. And now, he wants his young teammate to have similar stability, with the clubhouse extending his contract as a whole. Do you think it is justified? ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad Well, Jeremy Pena plays as a shortstop. Now, he is on a one-year contract, showing glimpses of his good performance, batting at an average of .265, with a .333 OBP and a .735 OPS while posting three home runs and 11 RBIs. And seeing that, Altuve did not think twice to praise the player. “He’s a very valuable player for us. And I’m very surprised he’s not signing a long-term deal with the Astros. He’s a guy that you really want on your team for the long term. So I think Dana Brown and Mr. Jim Crane need to start working on that,” Altuve mentioned when discussing the Astros transferring Pena to the leadoff spot and himself getting shifted down to the second spot. But Altuve expressed doubts about Pena’s future, too, saying it will not be bright until he signs a long-term deal. More importantly, he fills a crucial position in the infield where Altuve performed the best over the years. Well, Pena showed off his powerful throwing arm in his 241 innings at shortstop, recording an 80.2 percent strength over his 118 attempts. So, a long-term deal does make sense! “He’s a guy that works hard, plays hard, shows up every day willing to go play, willing to learn. And when you combine all those things, you’re going to have a great year; you’re going to become a superstar,” praised Altuve. But despite everything, Crane seems not to be having any discussions with “anybody in particular” at the moment. Meanwhile, at Jose Altuve’s request, the Astros decided to switch their leadoff hitters to create some magic. Jose Altuve makes humble request to Astros manager about moving him from the leadoff spot The Houston Astros’ Jose Altuve never demanded much despite having good stats, and salary, and being the face of the franchise. He has always prioritized the team’s performance rather than focusing on self. Now, in the middle of requesting the owner to extend his $4.1 million teammate’s contract, Altuve also asked Manager Joe Espada to consider removing him from the leadoff position. Wondering why? Well, once he comes from left field, he feels that he can hit it better at the bottom of the first inning. During his tenure of spending 14 seasons at the second, Altuve never really felt the need to change, only to feel later that it was better to play on the left. After losing out on Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker, the Astros were left with a major gap in their lineup. This prompted Altuve to fill that gap, moving on to the outfield. And the move certainly paid off. Altuve contributed two hits, posted a two-run homer, and three RBIs, which led to the 8-5 victory against the Detroit Tigers. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad “I enjoy playing baseball. I love playing, especially with these guys. I like being in the lineup. In the end, it doesn’t really matter if I play second or left, if I lead off or not. I just want to be in the lineup and help this team to win,” Altuve shared. He considered that winning the game for the team should come first and that individual performance should not be the main focus. Ultimately, the win is automatically awarded once the player starts playing perfectly. But unfortunately, this time, Jose Altuve didn’t ask the owner or the manager about letting Jeremy Pena have the leadoff spot. “I just told Joe that maybe he can hit me second some games at some point and he did it today. I just need, like, that little extra time to come from left field, and he decided to put Jeremy there,“ told Altuve. Well, for Jose Altuve, Pena is a great talent who can be a good long-term prospect for the team in the upcoming years. Pena performed exceptionally on Sunday during the matchup between the Astros and the Kansas City Royals, where he batted at a .265 average, hitting a three-run homer with 11 RBIs. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad And checking all that out, do you also think Jeremy Pena will be able to get a long-term contract extension from the Astros?