Houston Astros Could Lose Their Superstar to Heated Division Rival

The Houston Astros would be kicking themselves if their superstar leaves and stays in the division.

Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros have a big question that looms over not just them, but every team in the league who wants to acquire a star player ahead of MLB free agency.

For Houston, superstar third baseman and franchise cornerstone Alex Bregman - coming off another big season that has now ended in the first Gold Glove award of his career - is about to hit the open market. Bregman's five-year, $100 million contract that he signed in 2019 has come to an end, a contract that ended up being a massive bargain for the team. As payrolls have increased and star players are getting bigger deals than ever before, the Astros likely will not get Bregman to take a hometown discount and huge numbers have been thrown out as to what he could command.

Houston certainly has a leg up if the team does desire to keep him around long term and is willing to play ball, but Bregman will obviously not come cheap. When it comes to the possibility of him playing elsewhere next season, there are certainly some teams that would sting more than others. One of those teams that would be unfortunate for the Astros if Bregman were to land there is their American League West rivals, the Seattle Mariners. Jason Wang of FanSided named Bregman as a potential upgrade at third base for the team.

"Bregman has been an integral piece of the team's core since being called up in 2016," Wang wrote. "Like Jose Altuve, Houston may make a concerted effort to ensure that Bregman only ever wears their jersey during his major-league career, especially if it means taking away a top talent from their division rival Mariners. But if there was ever a time to spend on a position of need while shifting the balance of power in the division, Jerry Dipoto may not have a better opportunity."

Bregman would instantly bring a winning mentality along with a tremendous balance of elite fielding while still contributing a ton at the plate and in the power department. Seeing him land with a team that Houston had to fend off to win the division by the skin of their teeth by 3.5 games would certainly sting, and it would sting even more if he ended up being the piece that put Seattle over the top.