Alex Bregman entered MLB free agency as one of the top hitters on the open market, with the All-Star third baseman generating interest from multiple contenders including the Houston Astros. However, after the Astros signed Christian Walker and acquired Isaac Paredes, a return to Houston seemed unlikely.
MLB rumors throughout the winter indicated that the two sides never came close to terms on a deal. Houston’s offer topped out at a six-year contract worth $156 million, with Bregman reportedly seeking a $200-plus million deal. While re-signing with the Astros seemed to be off the table, Bregman had other suitors.
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- Alex Bregman stats (ESPN): .260/.315/.453, .768 OPS, 26 home runs, 75 RBI
Quickly, the veteran third baseman’s market dried up. While he’s still believed to be on the radar for the Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox, no substantial progress has been made in negotiations with either team. However, recent reports this week indicated a reunion with Houston might still be possible.
Chandler Rome of The Athletic reported that the Astros re-engaged with Bregman’s camp, leaving a contract offer on the table if he wanted it. Furthermore, All-Star second baseman Jose Altuve has persistently pushed the franchise to bring back his long-time friend and teammate, with a position switch even on the table. However, that optimism for a reunion now seems misplaced.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Astros general manager Dana Brown said that while the door is still “cracked” open for Bregman to return to Houston, the organization views it as a longshot at this point.
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- Houston Astors payroll 2025 (FanGraphs): $225 million
Houston has made some efforts in January to create some financial flexibility, pursuing trade options that would shed salary and bring in a few prospects. Unfortunately, following reports of an imminent trade with the Chicago Cubs, nothing is reportedly imminent with a path to shedding payroll now off the table for now.
If Bregman rejoined the Astros lineup in 2025, a position switch would reportedly be made. Paredes would remain at third base with Bregman moving to second, a position some MLB teams think he could be even better at defensively. It would then shift Altuve to the outfield, but all of this was under the assumption that a re-signing was in the cards.
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Instead, with ownership continuing to put constraints on the front office in terms of spending, it once again appears that Bregman’s return to the Astros will come as an opponent either this upcoming season or in 2026.