When the Houston Astros traded for Isaac Paredes and signed Christian Walker, it appeared like the Alex Bregman era in the franchise had come to an end. The Astros expressed interest in keeping Bregman, but his salary demands were higher than they were willing to pay, so they pivoted – and did it successfully.
While a Bregman reunion in Houston is far from definite, it does not appear impossible. The two-time All-Star has been on the open market all offseason and appears to be no closer to determining where he will play in 2025 than he was at the outset of the season. His inability to locate an acceptable deal has left the door open for Houston to step in.
The only question that both sides would have to address, apart from financial problems, is where everyone would play if Bregman returned. Chandler Rome of The Athletic ($) stated that shifting longstanding second baseman Jose Altuve to left field would be addressed, with Bregman taking over at third base and Isaac Paredes moving to the keystone.
That seemed ridiculous, and current Astros players can’t imagine such a drastic transformation taking happening.
If Astros players don’t see this happening, was this just another Scott Boras leverage game?
Astros colleagues’ comments about Jose Altuve made the Alex Bregman reunion feel like Scott Boras leverage games.
It’s not difficult to understand why Astros players don’t see this trade happening. Altuve has made 1,767 field appearances in Major League Baseball. 1,765 of them have been at second base. The only other two came from shortstop. He has played six innings away from the Keystone. Altuve has some minor league experience at third base, but it was more than a decade ago, and he has never played an inning in the outfield professionally.
It’s not unreasonable to believe Altuve would be willing to make a trade if it meant keeping Bregman, a key member in Houston’s dynasty, but would the Astros want the 34-year-old to make such a move?
Paredes has 67 games of MLB experience at second base, so it isn’t impossible to imagine him playing there full-time, but he fits better in a corner infield position.
This dramatic alignment appears to be a result of the Bregman camp’s desperation over Boras.
Bregman’s continued availability shows that he and Boras have yet to receive a suitable offer. Leaking that the Astros are willing to give Bregman the six-year, $156 million contract that was reportedly on the table prior to the Paredes and Walker additions would theoretically put pressure on other teams interested, such as the Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, and Detroit Tigers, to increase any offers they might have made to Bregman. Outlining how it would function would indicate that Houston is serious about making these changes.
Sure, the Astros might be receptive to this – it would be fairly fantastic to see it happen – but it’s something everyone, including his Astros teammates, will have to witness for themselves.
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