Astros Make it Clear: Alex Bregman is off Limits! Team Expected to…

The Houston Astros are facing one of the biggest questions in baseball this offseason; what is going to happen with Alex Bregman?

Their star third baseman is a free agent and is able to sign a deal with any franchise. He has plenty of suitors, as many teams are in need of an upgrade at the hot corner and he is the clear-cut No. 1 option on the market.

Complicating things even more for the Astros is Bregman is reportedly willing to move to second base in the right situation. That will expand his market even more, as teams who need middle infield help will now join the fray.

Having to replace him would be a tall task for Houston’s front office.

Bregman remains incredibly productive in every facet of the game.

Despite a very slow start to this past campaign at the plate, he still finished with a slash line of .260/.315/.453, hitting 30 doubles with 26 homers while knocking in 75 runs.

Those kinds of numbers would be a sizable upgrade for many lineups around the league.

He is also coming off the best defensive season of his career, winning the Gold Glove Award for the first time that likely only increases his value.

For the Astros, his leadership in the clubhouse would arguably be the toughest thing to replace.

The value he brings with his championship experience alone is something several teams, such as up-and-comers like the Detroit Tigers and Washington Nationals, would love to add.

Will they have the chance to?

Based on the franchise’s history, it is certainly possible they allow a homegrown star like Bregman to walk.

But, Andy McCullough of The Athletic believes things will be different this time around. He has predicted the star third baseman will be staying with the only franchise he has known.

“Jim Crane has let homegrown stars walk before. Maybe Bregman will meet the same fate as Carlos Correa and George Springer. Or maybe Crane will recognize the lack of external or internal options to replace Bregman at third base and authorize general manager Dana Brown to do what it takes to keep the former No. 2 overall pick. Jose Altuve has already made his case to the brass. If the Astros want to keep their run going, they’ll likely need to keep Bregman around.”

Their seven-year streak of reaching the ALCS was snapped by the Tigers in the Wild Card round.

That could certainly prompt some changes to their core, but moving on from Bregman should not be one of those adjustments.

He is too important to the franchise to not bring back.

There is currently a gap in how much money the team is willing to offer and what Bregman is seeking, so it will probably take some external pressure to see the Astros increase their compensation, but they should do what it takes so he doesn’t leave.