Jose Altuve, with his unconventional moves, has once again grabbed the spotlight—this time for a good reason! Reportedly, Altuve is ready to sacrifice his position to accommodate Alex Bregman on the team. With Bregman still in free agency and contending teams are trying to lure him, the positional change by Altuve has just made the case stronger for the Astros. Enough to get Bregman on board?

Well, Altuve is well-established at 2B, and there was no reason for him to give it up, especially with his past performance being enough to justify keeping the position. 200 HRs and a .300 BR at 2B is enough to not let others take the position. But Altuve is about to do the unthinkable in getting Bregman, leaving even his teammates shocked. So, can the Astros pull off the miracle of moving Altuve from 2B and getting Bregman?

Shocking move by Jose Altuve

Playing since 2011 for the Astros and being their longest-tenured player, Altuve is proving to be the greatest asset in every way possible. Well, apart from amassing 2000 hits and 300 SBs for the Astros, he is now letting others take his position for the team’s larger interest. But, why does Altuve playing at 2B need to make way for Bregman who plays at 3B? If Bregman returns with the Astros, he will play at 3B, and in that case, the Astros got their third baseman in the form of Isaac Pederes. So, Altuve is making space for Pederes to move to 2B, while he will move to left field and let Bregman take 3B. 

The move although makes sense considering how the Astros will be able to field the best in every position, is enough to shock the Altuve’s teammates. Reacting to the same, MLB insider Jason Bristol took to X to share the response by the Astros players. He wrote, “I can’t imagine Josey not at second, said Spencer Arrighetti. Who said that? replied Jeremy Peña. I can’t see it…”. The players are left shocked and yet to believe that Altuve is moving from 2B considering how effective he is at 2B all these years.

Apart from Altuve moving to left field, Pederes is also to be moved from existing 3B to 2B. There is still no concrete information if Pederes is making the moves or not. Fielding Pederes at 2B, Bregman at 3B, and Jose Altuve at left field is something the Astros would dream of. However, in extreme cases, the Astros might consider moving Pederes to DH, while Alvarez to the left field. This will let Jose Altuve and Bregman play at 2B and 3B respectively. 

Making a strong case to get Bregman

Bregman is the hottest free agent currently and teams like the Red Sox and Tigers are actively pursuing him with the Red Sox being the clear favorite here. The Astros got their offer rejected by Bregman before but still can make a strong pitch by offering him 3B, which even the Red Sox is not offering. Reportedly, the Red Sox have offered 2B to Bregman, which he is yet to confirm but getting 3B from his previous club can make the sweepstake more interesting. Bregman’s record at 3B is beyond any doubt amassing 663 RBIs in his career and getting the same position from the same club will be irresistible for him. 

Although Bregman previously rejected a $156 million deal from the Astros, it hasn’t been reported what the Red Sox offered him. So, it’s pretty clear that the Astros cannot land him till they are not going beyond their initial budget, and offering him 3B is the only way forward. Moreover, Altuve’s willingness to make the move conveys the team’s intention to get Bregman, and this time, the Astros have a strong case for Bregman to reject. The spring season is just a few weeks away and fans can expect a closure very soon. 

Landing Bregman will be a miracle for the Astros when a team gets rejected in the first place, gets away from contention, makes a last-minute comeback, and finalizes the deal. If pulled off, no other than Altuve should be credited for making the case here. 

What do you think about Altuve’s move to get Bregman back? Share your comments below.