The Astros are running out of options to move away from Alex Bregman. The team was pursuing Jorge Polanco to field him to the second base, but now the Mariners have landed him. The ball is on the Astros’ court to decide if they want Bregman, and that too in minimum time considering the spring season is about to start. On the other hand, Bregman has a few offers on his table. Now, Bregman’s price is what’s keeping the Astros from getting him, and in this long-due process of signing him, they kept losing one potential alternative after another.

The Mariners got back their veteran infielder George Polanco at a low cost of $7 million after the Astros pursued him for a long time. Ryan Pressly, the all-weather pitcher for the Astros, got traded to the Cubs for making financial scope to take Bregman. Moreover, Brett Baty could be the potential alternative for Bregman at 3B, but he went to the Mets. The Astros could have landed power hitter Eugenio Suarez as well but failed to get him from the Diamondbacks—that’s another lost opportunity for the Astros.

Currently, apart from Bregman and Pete Alonso, no big names are available in free agency, so the time has come for the Astros to go aggressive for Bregman or to get a few rookies as potential alternatives. “The Astros seriously pursued Jorge Polanco with plans to play him primarily at second base and move Jose Altuve to left field. Attention now turns toward Alex Bregman,” MLB insider Chandler Rome recently noted; Bregman’s fans might rejoice here considering his chances of getting back to the team are increasing again. 

Alex Bregman, along with his rather infamous agent Scott Boras, kept an asking price that is creating a roadblock for the Astros to proceed. Bregman previously rejected a $156 million offer from the Astros sighting north of a $200 million deal, something they are still skeptical to offer. The Red Sox are the favorites to land Bregman; with the Astros making a strong case of offering him his staple 3B position, Bregman is still the most logical fit in the team, especially in this last minute of the offseason. 

Bregman is the most logical fit

The Astros are yet to find someone better and more experienced than Alex Bregman at the third base. The experience he can bring to the Astros’ infield and batting lineup is second to none; the Golden Globe winner of 2024 could be the most valuable addition for the Astros at the third base. This leaves them a minimum chance of going into hard bargaining with Bregman, and now the question is: Will the Astros then agree to a $200 deal for Bregman?

The Astros can otherwise offer a short-term deal with high AAV and opt-out, which can make the case for Bregman to go for maximum money for fewer years and can opt out for free agency and fetch bigger amounts later. This deal can be a potential midway for both parties considering that the Astros need Bregman while he can get his 3B position only with them. 

Losing Polanco paved the way for the Astros to get back Bregman, and fans can still be hopeful about him returning to his previous den. Time will now answer if the Astros can make the last laugh here. What do you think about the Astros’ chance of getting Bregman? Leave your thoughts below.