The best free agency goes with old Astros 3B

He may not have the Most Valuable Player award like teammate Jose Altuve, but Alex Bregman has been one of the faces of the Houston Astros franchise since its historic era of AL West dominance began in 2017.

At the age of 30, Bregman is a free agent for the first time in his career and one of the biggest names on the market this winter and is expected to land a nine-figure contract.

Bregman made his major league debut in 2016 and became a World Series champion in 2017, the first of Houston’s seven consecutive trips to the AL Championship Series. He finished second in the AL MVP voting in 2019 with the best season of his career to date, hitting 41 home runs with a 1.015 OPS and 8.9 WAR. His net worth has declined in the years since, but Bregman won his first career Gold Glove in 2024.

Here’s a look at some of the top potential landing spots for Bregman:

Houston Astros

Can they really let him walk? Houston has won the AL West seven times in Bregman’s nine seasons and it is the only club he has known since taking second place in the 2015 draft. A return makes sense, but the Astros may not be willing to let Bregman the kind of contract he wants – the price is said to be between $160 and 180 million. That said, they signed Jose Altuve to a five-year extension last spring and it’s hard to imagine the second baseman being too happy to see his infield buddy leave.

New York Yankees

Bregman would immediately solve the Yankees’ third base problem and Jazz Chisholm Jr. to move to second base. Maybe it won’t be a factor, but it’s worth remembering that Bregman is persona non grata in the Bronx for his role in the Astros cheating scandal, which reportedly stripped the Yankees of the AL pennant in 2017. Are Yankees fans (and captain Aaron Judge ) willing to put all that aside for a guy with an OPS below .800?

New York Mets

There are a few different paths the Mets and Bregman could take here. He is open to playing second base, a position the Mets desperately need to upgrade this winter. But if the team doesn’t bring back Pete Alonso or replace him directly at first, they may consider moving Mark Vientos across the diamond (or to DH?) and slotting the Gold Glove-winning Bregman into the hot corner.

Washington Nationals

The future may now be in Washington. With a pretty decent rotation, an All-Star shortstop in CJ Abrams and young sluggers James Wood and Dylan Crews making waves in the majors, a wild card run in 2025 wouldn’t be a shock. Bregman may be expensive, but splashing the cash would give the Nationals a proven winner and perhaps more importantly, restore Washington as a team to be taken seriously.

Toronto blue jays

The Blue Jays really just want someone to take their money. Bregman would certainly like to work with Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. play in Toronto’s infield, but the two Blue Jays stars are both free agents after the 2025 season. Would Bregman commit his long-term future to so much uncertainty?

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