In a surprising development, Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown hinted that the door may be open for a reunion with star free agent third baseman Alex Bregman. Speaking at the team’s FanFest event on Saturday, Brown suggested that re-signing the two-time All-Star is a possibility, albeit a “long shot” at this stage.
“The interesting thing is when we made some trades and some moves this offseason, we never realized that Bregman would still be on the market at this time,” Brown revealed. “We’ve had some conversation and I could kind of leave it there, but we’ve had some conversations.”
I would say it’s cracked, right. The fact that he’s still available, it just makes it interesting like, man, this guy is such a good player, he’s done so many wonderful things here.
– Dana Brown on the possibility of re-signing Alex Bregman
Potential Infield Shuffle
The Astros have already made some notable moves this winter that would seem to impact Bregman’s potential fit. They acquired infielder Isaac Paredes from the Cubs in exchange for outfielder Kyle Tucker, and also signed free agent first baseman Christian Walker.
Brown previously indicated that Walker would man first base while Paredes plays third. However, he clarified that if Bregman were to re-sign, the veteran would remain at the hot corner.
I love watching Bregman play third base, so I can’t imagine putting Bregman or having (manager) Joe (Espada) put Bregman in any other position other than third base. That’s his home.
– Dana Brown on Alex Bregman’s potential position
Altuve’s Future at Second Base
One ripple effect of a potential Bregman return could be a position change for Astros icon Jose Altuve. The eight-time All-Star and former AL MVP has played second base for his entire 14-year career in Houston.
While Altuve reportedly lobbied for the Astros to keep Bregman at the end of last season, manager Dusty Baker was noncommittal about whether he has discussed Altuve potentially changing positions to accommodate Bregman at third and Paredes at second.
If we get there, we’ll have that conversation with him, but his willingness to do whatever it takes to win – it’s important to us. He’s a cornerstone of this team.
– Dusty Baker on a potential position change for Jose Altuve
Bregman’s Astros Legacy
Bregman has spent his entire nine-year MLB career in Houston, emerging as one of the faces of the franchise. The 30-year-old slugger is a two-time All-Star, four-time top-10 MVP finisher, 2019 Silver Slugger winner, and 2022 Gold Glove recipient at third base.
- 7 postseason appearances with the Astros
- 2017 World Series champion
- 960 hits, 197 home runs, 637 RBIs, and .283 batting average in Houston
While Brown describes the odds of a reunion as a “long shot” given the Astros’ offseason moves, the general manager clearly holds Bregman in high regard and recognizes his importance to the organization over the past decade.
Astros GM Dana Brown describes the door to re-signing star free agent Alex Bregman as "cracked" — but a reunion still appears to be a long shot at this juncture.https://t.co/8dM5NAksNH
— ESPN (@espn) June 2, 2023
As one of the top remaining free agents, Bregman’s market should pick up steam as spring training approaches. While a return to Houston may be unlikely, Brown and the Astros appear to be keeping the possibility alive, even if just a crack.
