With every passing day, a reunion between Alex Bregman and the Houston Astros seems more and more unlikely.
The Astros made a blockbuster trade to send Kyle Tucker for Isaac Paredes and more, giving them a Bregman replacement if they like Paredes at third base. There’s a scenario where the right-handed hitter could play first base, but everything is still being worked out as the front office looks to build the best possible roster heading into next season.
Bregman’s free agency doesn’t seem as exciting as some initially predicted.
The veteran has been one of the better third basemen in Major League Baseball over much of the past decade, but his down year in 2024 could be hurting his value.
If a few more weeks go by, there could even be a chance that Bregman has to take a short-term deal with decent AAV to prove to teams he can still swing the bat at a high level.
A lot has to play out over the next few weeks, and with other players expected to make their free agency decisions sometime in the near future, things will only get more confusing.
However, if Bregman lands a long-term deal, it doesn’t look like it will be with Houston.
Ryan Finkelstein of Just Baseball predicted he’d sign with the Detroit Tigers on a six-year, $168 million deal, a contract the Astros essentially offered him.
“The Houston Astros reportedly offered Alex Bregman a six-year, $156 million offer, but it was also reported that he is seeking over $200 million. With the Astros and Bregman nearly $50 million apart, they just made a trade that send Kyle Tucker to the Cubs in exchange for a third baseman in Isaac Parades. While Parades could always move to first base if they signed Bregman back, it would make sense that this trade likely spells the end of his days in Houston.”
If Bregman wants to be paid like the top third baseman in baseball, his free agency might not end until Spring Training, and there’s even a chance it could take longer.
The Tigers make sense as a landing spot.
They need another right-handed hitter in the middle of their lineup, and while there could be some concerns about him playing at Comerica Park due to his bat not being a perfect fit for a ballpark of that size, Detroit needs to get busy, too.
Regardless of where he goes, there seems to be a real chance his time with Houston could be coming to an end.
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