Houston Astros Cannot Let Their Star Land With AL Rival in MLB Free Agency

The Houston Astros could be at risk of their superstar free agent going to a rival.

Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros have the unfortunate reality hanging over them this offseason that their star player is desired by almost every team in the league in free agency.

Superstar third baseman Alex Bregman is set to hit the open market, and as a guy who has been one of the most key pieces of an Astros team which has dominated the American League for the better part of the last decade, he's the kind of player teams are willing to shell out big money to acquire.

Houston has let their biggest stars walk before, but Bregman has taken on a different status in the city than the likes of previous players who have departed.

Bregman is an Astros icon and someone the fans desperately want to keep.

Whether that happens or not remains to be seen, but there are certainly some destinations which would sting more than others.

One that may just be at the top of the list is a team Bregman was instrumental in defeating numerous times in the playoffs.

Mark Feinsand of MLB.com named the now-defending AL champion New York Yankees as a possibility for the star.

"Bregman has been part of the Houston core that has beaten the Yankees in the ALCS three times since 2017, so New York is well aware of how dangerous the third baseman can be," he wrote. "Jazz Chisholm Jr. manned the hot corner for most of the Yankees’ games after the Trade Deadline, but he could shift to second base if New York signs Bregman or any other third baseman. Whether the Yankees are able to re-sign Soto could determine how aggressive they are with the rest of the free-agent market."

The fit is there, and depending on what happens with the main free agency prize, Juan Soto, the money just might be there as well.

For the Yankees, it will be extremely tempting to steal one of Houston's best players for the second time, as Gerrit Cole continues to carve up batters in the Bronx.

Coming off their first World Series appearance since 2009 - an appearance that came by not having to face the Astros - team brass is going to be hungry for more and may feel Bregman is the way to do it.

Losing Bregman would hurt no matter what, but losing him to New York would be downright painful.