The New York Mets essentially won the off-season prize by signing Juan Soto. They went head to head with one of the finest and most storied teams in the Yankees and took their four-time All-Star. Now after Soto’s deal has been done, other important players demand attention. One is Alex Bregman. The Houston Astros star didn’t have the best of seasons due to injuries, but he is still a stellar player, having had five seasons with 20 home runs at least!

GM Dana Brown was asked about the status of the Astros’ pursuit of Bregman, and it seems like they are still after him. “Alex Bregman’s status is still the way it is. Nothing has changed since the last time we talked with you guys. We’ve been busy with a lot of different things, as I realize he’s been busy trying to find a landing spot,” said Brown. But it’s not going to be easy retaining him, not when more than four teams are interested, as Ari Alexander of KPRC2 reports.

Yankees and Mets butt heads again

Alex Bregman is suddenly the talk for everyone this off-season. Ari Alexander reported the scoop, where according to him, the Yankees, Mets, Astros, and Red Sox are considered the “strong four” by insiders to win the race to bag Bregman. However, he gave another name—the Detroit Tigers, who are also showing a lot of interest in the star third baseman. But once again the Mets and Yankees are strongly bent on Bregman, and they both genuinely need him in their lineup.

Ari Alexander reports, “The Mets also have a need at the corner position.” He mentioned that Pete Alonso’s future with the Mets is uncertain given he is a free agent. Plus, their third baseman Mark Vientos finished in the 6th percentile in Statcast’s Outs Above Average (OAA), with -7 outs. In contrast, Bregman won the AL Gold Glove in 2024! “If Bregman joins the Mets, Vientos would move to first base,” said Alexander.

The New York Yankees, meanwhile, aren’t backing down. Alexander mentioned that they have been eyeing Bregman to fill the glaring hole that Soto just left at third base. Adding Bregman would address both the offensive and defensive needs of the team. But the question is whether any team is ready to pay a whopping $200 million for Alex Bregman. Astros offered $156 million on the table already, so the stakes are high.

Red Sox’s internal dilemma over Alex Bregman revealed

Alex Bregman’s off-season journey has another twist. The Boston Red Sox see him not as a third baseman but as a second baseman. It’s surprising because he won a Gold Glove at third base this season. Sean McAdam of Masslive confirmed the news, saying, “The Red Sox envision him at second base, allowing Rafael Devers, for now, to remain the team’s third baseman.” Alex Bregman, although, is a versatile player and has publicly stated he is open to a change. However, even after this, Boston’s pursuit isn’t simple.

There are internal disagreements where, on one hand, manager Alex Cora and team president Sam Kennedy are all in for Bregman. On the other, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow is still on the fence. McAdam reported, “While manager Alex Cora and team president Sam Kennedy are known to be big proponents of Bregman, the source said some members of the baseball operations staff, including chief baseball officer Craig Breslow, are more circumspect when it comes to the player.” One reason why they are possibly hesitant is Bregman’s declining offensive stats.  He was once averaging an OPS of .891 from 2018 to 2022. But that number dipped to OPS .804 in 2023 and .768 in 2024.

Still, Alex Bregman has a winning pedigree, and Cora is singing his praises: “He’s a complete player… and can impact a championship-caliber team.” So it remains to see if they can sort their conflicts out and focus on getting the star.