Alex Bregman has spent his entire MLB career to date with the Houston Astros, debuting all the way back in 2016. Since then, he has been a key contributor to two World Series championships, seven division titles and eight straight appearances in the postseason.
For Bregman, this offseason has been full of rumors but no blockbuster free-agent contract yet. The possibility of him returning to the Astros has persisted alongside potential deals from suitors such as the Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox to name a few.
Astros fans that hope to see Bregman back in Houston may be a little down after hearing some words Houston general manager Dana Brown uttered regarding the two-time All-Star on Tuesday.
At the Astros’ annual media luncheon, Brown spoke about Bregman in the past tense two separate times according to Chandler Rome of The Athletic, even suggesting once that the team “lost” the 30-year-old third baseman.
That’s music to the ears of other clubs that wish to bring Bregman in. Of course, it’s still likely going to cost one franchise quite a bit of money when Bregman does finally make a decision.
Hard-balling agent Scott Boras represents Bregman, and price predictions have regularly been above $150 million. The hour is late though, so the actual number could come in lower.
In any case, the Astros may well be out of the sweepstakes. Bregman appears to be on the launchpad waiting to depart the Space City.
This Astros-Orioles trade would help the Astros find the money to bring back Alex Bregman
The Houston Astros have been on quite the roller coaster ride with free agent infielder Alex Bregman this offseason. To begin the winter, Houston prioritized bringing Bregman back to the team, but the two sides couldn’t come to terms on a deal. Rather than caving in and giving the free agent nearly $200 million, the Astros pivoted away from him.
They went and added Christian Walker to play first base and Isaac Paredes to play third base. But after watching Bregman’s free agency negotiations stall again, the Astros are back in the race. As of now, the Astros might be the favorites, but Bregman still doesn’t seem ready to take their reported $156 million offer.
They could afford to free up some money in order to offer Bregman a slightly more lucrative deal in order to steal him from the other teams left in the race.
This Astros-Orioles trade would free Houston up to bring back Alex Bregman
If the Astros opt to trade starting pitcher Framber Valdez, they could save quite a bit of money. There are plenty of teams that would love to bring the Astros’ ace to town including the Baltimore Orioles.
Baltimore lost Corbin Burnes earlier this offseason and they haven’t added a true ace to replace him. Adding Valdez would give them exactly that.
Baltimore Orioles
Houston AstrosKjerstad, 25, doesn’t have a clear path to a starting role in Baltimore this season. After the Orioles signed another big-league outfielder recently, it seems as though they’re likely to trade Kjerstad before the season. The 25-year-old slashed .253/.351/.394 with four home runs in 99 at bats last season. He has plus power and a solid hit tool.
Beavers, 23, slashed .242/.342/.408 in 2024 split between Double-A and Triple-A. The outfielder will likely start the 2025 campaign at the Triple-A level, but if he can get rolling early on, he could be fast tracked to the big leagues before the All-Star break. The 23-year-old has plus tools across the board.
Adding Valdez would be a huge move for the Orioles, but this would be an even bigger trade for the Astros. Not only would the Astros benefit from dumping Valdez’s contract, but they could desperately use some talented outfielders after trading Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs. This deal does both for them.
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