AL West Rival a Major Threat to Steal Houston Astros Star

An American League West rival has been named a threat to steal a star away from the Houston Astros.

Aug 5, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman (2) rounds the bases after he hits a solo home run against the Texas Rangers during the third inning at Globe Life Field. / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The Houston Astros are going to have some tough decisions to make during the MLB offseason. Two of their longtime stars are going to hit the open free agency market.

Of course, those two stars are starting pitcher Justin Verlander and third baseman Alex Bregman.

When it comes to Bregman, there has been a rising sense that he will indeed test free agency. Even though there have been reported extension talks, it seems more likely that he will entertain offers from other teams.

There is still a good chance that the Astros will end up bringing him back. However, there is also a chance that another team will make an offer that he doesn't pass up.

Mark Feinsand of MLB.com took a look at Bregman's upcoming free agency. He also named the American League West rival Seattle Mariners as a threat to steal the star third baseman away from Houston.

He's what Feinsand had to say about Bregman:

"Bregman’s breakout seasons in 2018-19 saw him average 36 home runs, 108 RBIs and a .970 OPS, and he finished in the top five of AL MVP voting in both years. He hasn’t reached those levels since then, though he remains one of the more productive third basemen in baseball. Bregman’s platform year got off to a slow start (.206 average, four home runs and a .589 OPS through his first 51 games), but he’s come on since late May, hitting .302 with 15 homers and an .894 OPS over his past 65 games. The Astros have talked about extending Bregman, but with free agency around the corner, he should test the market."

Bregman has had a decent, but not elite, 2024 season with the Astros. He has played in 117 games, batting .261/.318/.450 to go along with 20 home runs and 60 RBI.

Clearly, those numbers are not as good as he has produced in years past, but they are still the kind of numbers that can help power a team to success.

Heading into the offseason, the Astros will have to make a decision. Are they willing to offer big money to keep the 30-year-old star in town long-term? Or, are they willing to let him walk to another team?

That will be one of the big questions that decides what kind of offseason Houston will have. It will be interesting to see what they choose to do and what Bregman chooses to do as well.