Alex Bregman might have performed his ultimate recreation as an Astro on Wednesday. Detroit’s 5-2 win accomplished a sweep that ended Houston’s run of seven consecutive journeys at the least so far as the American League Championship Collection. That’ll push the Astros into offseason mode, the place the main focus will likely be on their star third baseman.
Alden González of ESPN writes that the Astros are anticipated to current a proper contract proposal to Bregman within the close to future. Whereas Houston has but to place an official provide on the desk, common supervisor Dana Brown has mentioned on just a few events they’d talk about the contract as soon as the season ended. Brown once more expressed optimism in regards to the state of affairs. “Whenever you get all the way down to it, I feel he needs to remain right here. I feel we would like him to remain right here,” the GM advised González earlier this week. “And it’s only a matter of arising with some kind of an settlement.”
Coming to an settlement is of course a lot simpler mentioned than carried out with a free agent of this caliber. Bregman is arguably the second-best place participant who’ll hit the market. Until the Scott Boras shopper takes a big hometown low cost, retaining him would in all probability require the largest funding in franchise historical past. Houston’s organizational excessive was the five-year, $151MM extension for Jose Altuve signed in Spring Coaching 2018.
That $151MM sum is coincidentally a precise match for the extension which Matt Chapman signed with the Giants final month. (Chapman’s deal was over six years, so the typical annual worth was decrease than that of the Altuve contract.) Bregman is a 12 months youthful than Chapman and a extra constant offensive participant. Bregman will decline a qualifying provide if he will get to free company. That’ll connect him to draft compensation. That wouldn’t have been the case for Chapman, who couldn’t have obtained a QO from San Francisco. Nonetheless, the one-year hole in age and the safer offensive profile make it doubtless that Bregman’s incomes energy is above the Chapman value.
The career-long Astro hasn’t spoken a lot about his contract standing. Bregman deferred offseason questions whereas the Astros have been nonetheless alive, stating that he was centered on the crew’s efficiency. He restricted his feedback largely to generalities within the speedy aftermath of being eradicated. Requested whether or not he needed to return to Houston, Bregman mentioned he “(hopes) so however (will) let Scott and the crew deal with that” (X hyperlink by way of Matt Younger of the Houston Chronicle). He subsequently took to Twitter to thank the town.
Just a few of Bregman’s teammates have been effusive of their reward for the two-time All-Star. Altuve, himself a Boras Company shopper, was notably sturdy in regards to the Astros’ must preserve him. “In my thoughts there’s not an opportunity that is his final recreation (as an Astro),” Altuve mentioned (relayed on X by Chandler Rome of the Athletic). “He gave lots to this group so it’s time for us as a corporation to pay him again and make him keep right here.” Altuve added that he deliberate to say as a lot personally to proprietor Jim Crane.
In the end, whether or not the Astros re-sign Bregman is determined by Crane’s willingness to make an enormous free agent funding. The Astros have been content material to let George Springer and Carlos Correa stroll in earlier offseasons. They’re all the way down to their ultimate seasons of arbitration management over Kyle Tucker and Framber Valdez, each of whom are trending to nine-figure offers. Tucker is on tempo to exceed $200MM and will push into the $300MM vary with an incredible stroll 12 months.
Whereas Crane has usually been averse to long-term offers, he hasn’t been shy about investing within the crew general. Houston is ending this 12 months with an approximate $244MM participant payroll, as calculated by RosterResource. They’re round $262MM in luxurious tax obligations, placing them into the second tier of penalization.
RosterResource calculates their assured commitments for subsequent season round $133MM. Tucker and Valdez headline one of many priciest arbitration courses within the league. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz tasks Houston’s arbitration group to value round $58MM. Trades or non-tenders of José Urquidy and Chas McCormick may knock just a few million from the ledger, however the Astros will go into the offseason with roughly $185MM in inside commitments.
Past the uncertainty at third base, Houston might want to have a look at the rotation and at first base. The latter was an enormous subject all season. Houston’s rotation settled in later within the 12 months, however they’ll see Justin Verlander and Yusei Kikuchi hit free company. Valdez, Hunter Brown, Ronel Blanco, Spencer Arrighetti and hopeful damage returnees Luis Garcia and Lance McCullers Jr. make for a gifted group. Accidents critically examined the depth earlier than they stabilized issues with the Kikuchi pickup on the deadline, although, so Houston is probably going to usher in some form of beginning pitching assist.
The Astros don’t have an apparent in-house alternative at third base. Shay Whitcomb and Zach Dezenzo took just a few at-bats this season, however they’re unproven on the MLB stage. 2023 first-round choose Brice Matthews might be a solution down the road. He solely has 12 video games of Triple-A expertise to this point. Assuming the Diamondbacks choose up their possibility on Eugenio Suárez, there aren’t any clear regulars out there on the place in free company other than Bregman.
