The Houston Astros have made a few moves this offseason that should help them remain on top in a weak American League West division.
Despite trading away Kyle Tucker, they managed to bring in Isaac Paredes from the Chicago Cubs and followed it up with the signing of Christian Walker to a three-year, $60 million deal.
Walker will obviously take over at first base, which allows Houston to push Paredes to third base. As such, the door has been officially closed on a reunion with two-time World Series champion Alex Bregman.
Deesha Thosar of FOX Sports predicts that Bregman will ultimately sign with the Boston Red Sox.
“Bregman is five years removed from his best season (41 home runs, 1.1015 OPS, 8.9 bWAR) in 2019, and has racked up a lot of mileage before entering free agency (he’ll reach 5,000 career plate appearances sometime in May 2025). But he remains one of the top all-around players and one of the few remaining available difference-makers in baseball. The Red Sox have the capital, and perhaps even the desperation to get this deal done,” Thosar wrote.
If Bregman were to sign in Boston, he would likely have to move to second base with Rafael Devers already entrenched as their starting third baseman. But he would give them their much-needed right-handed power bat.
As for Houston, they were smart to pivot to Walker, knowing that Bregman’s price tag would be high. They initially attempted to acquire Nolan Arenado from the St. Louis Cardinals, and the deal was close until Arenado rejected it.
They had already acquired Paredes, and Walker was their next best option. Losing Bregman will certainly be met with some sadness in Houston, as he was a key member of the team since his Major League debut in 2016. He helped guide Houston to the Fall Classic four times.
Bregman is also a two-time All-Star, a former Silver Slugger and a Gold Glove winner. But with Walker already signed, it would seem that the Astros have already moved on from Bregman as the offseason progresses.
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