Having signed a six-year, $100 million contract with the Astros before Opening Day in 2019, Bregman became a free agent at the end of 2024. Going into the offseason, he was largely expected to re-sign with Houston for next season, with Astros general manager Dana Brown even saying that was the team’s “biggest priority” — but a lot has changed since then. While the team hasn’t explicitly said that they won’t be bringing Bregman back, a number of recent moves make a reunion extremely unlikely, if not entirely out of consideration.
The Houston Astros Have Moved On From Bregman
On December 13, the Astros traded outfielder Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs, receiving pitcher Hayden Wesneski and third basemen Isaac Paredes and Cam Smith in return. Wesneski will likely join Houston’s bullpen next season — though he could be considered for the starting rotation — and Smith, who isn’t expected to make his major league debut until 2026, is currently the No. 5 third base prospect in MLB and has dethroned Jacob Melton as the No. 1 prospect in the Astros’ system. It’s Paredes, however, that is expected to step into the role as the Astros’ everyday third baseman in 2025, filling the position that Bregman has held for the last eight-plus seasons.
If the Astros’ trade for Paredes left any doubt that a reunion with Bregman wasn’t happening, it was made clear a week later when the team agreed to terms on a three-year, $60 million deal with free agent Christian Walker. Walker, who is coming off eight seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks, will take over as Houston’s primary first baseman from 2025 onwards, closing the door on any chance of Bregman — or Paredes — moving to the other side of the diamond.
Going into next season, the Astros’ infield is set with Walker at first base, Jose Altuve at second, Jeremy Peña at shortstop, and Paredes at third, while Yordan Álvarez is locked in as the team’s designated hitter. It’s time for Bregman to move on from Houston, because it’s abundantly clear that Houston has already moved on from him.
What’s Next For Alex Bregman?
Spotrac projects Bregman’s market value will see him sign a four-year, $120 million deal out of free agency this winter, putting his average annual value (AAV) at $30 million, while The Athletic’s Tim Britton, Chad Jennings, and Aaron Gleeman predict he’ll land a much longer seven-year, $189 million deal for a slightly lower AAV of $27 million. Either way, Bregman is looking at a big step up from the $16.7 million AAV on his previous contract with the Astros.
While heading back to Houston may be off the table, Bregman is the top free agent infielder available this winter and one of MLB’s best all-around players. It’s hardly surprising that he’s been linked to a number of teams this offseason, but the New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers have emerged as the obvious frontrunners to sign the third baseman.
New York Yankees
Losing out on Juan Soto to the New York Mets hasn’t stopped the Yankees from making big moves this winter. News broke of their eight-year, $218 million deal with free agent pitcher Max Fried on December 10, and just three days later, they acquired reliever Devin Williams in a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers. On December 17, the Yankees added outfielder Cody Bellinger in a trade with the Cubs, and most recently, they signed free agent first baseman Paul Goldschmidt to a one-year, $12.5 million contract.
Going into 2025, there’s only one gaping hole in the Yankees’ otherwise retooled roster — third base.
Signing Bregman to play third would allow Jazz Chisholm Jr. to move back to his natural position at second base, solidifying the infield alongside Goldschmidt at first and Anthony Volpe at shortstop, with Oswaldo Cabrera as depth. While the Yankees’ fanbase has always been vocally against any member of the 2017 Astros joining the team, perhaps they’ll overlook it if Bregman helps them lock in one of the better infields in the league.
Detroit Tigers
Other than signing pitcher Alex Cobb to a one-year, $15 million deal on December 10, the Tigers have so far been quiet this winter, but that doesn’t mean they’ll stay that way. Detroit is on the way up, and after sweeping the Astros — including Bregman — in the AL Wild Card Series in 2024, the team needs to bolster their lineup with a top-tier, reliable hitter.
Right now, Jace Jung is penciled in as the Tigers’ everyday third baseman for next year, and while the 24-year-old showed potential in his 94 plate appearances during 2024, he’s a long way from consistent. If Detroit wants to push open a contention window, they need a proven veteran to lead the roster, and Bregman would fit that bill perfectly.
Plus, Bregman has a connection to Tigers skipper A.J. Hinch since Hinch managed the Astros from 2014 to 2019 — so it’s clear the Detroit fanbase has moved past the 2017 World Series scandal — and who among us doesn’t love a reunion?
