Houston Astros Divisional Rival Considered Dark Horse to Sign Alex Bregman

Where will Alex Bregman sign this offseason?

Oct 2, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros third base Alex Bregman (2) runs after hitting a single against the Detroit Tigers during the second inning of game two of the Wildcard round for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Minute Maid Park. / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros started the offseason a bit earlier than they would have liked, as they were eliminated in the American League Wild Card Round by the Detroit Tigers. 

This campaign was a good one once again for the Astros despite failing to make the Championship Series for the first time in seven years. While the slow start to the season hurt them and potentially cost them a bye, Houston was still considered to be one of the best teams in the league. 

The Astros have been able to sustain success for basically a decade now, as they have done an excellent job developing players, making trades, and hitting the right buttons in free agency. This offseason, however, will be one of the most notable for the franchise, as one of the big pieces in their core is set to hit free agency in Alex Bregman. 

After Matt Chapman signed an extension with the San Francisco Giants, it cleared the path to make Bregman the best third baseman without question, being a free agent. While Houston is likely going to try to keep him, they won’t be the only other team to pursue him. 

Recently, Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report spoke about the Seattle Mariners potentially being a dark horse for Alex Bregman. 

The Mariners going after the slugger makes a ton of sense for a few reasons. The first being how poor production was from that position this season for them and their need to upgrade the lineup. 

Seattle had one of the best pitching staffs in baseball this season, but they paired it with one of the worst offenses in the league. Adding a third baseman would instantly improve that offense, and a bounce back season from Julio Rodriguez would help as well. 

Furthermore, the Mariners signing Bregman away from Houston would also weaken their rival. While baseball is a business, Bregman going to Seattle would be a really tough pill to swallow for the Astros. 

In addition to Seattle, Houston also has to keep an eye out for the New York Yankees and New York Mets. While those two teams will be going all-in for Juan Soto, if either or both miss out on him, they could pivot to Bregman. 

With a lot of their talented core hitting free agency in the next couple of years, this will be a very telling offseason for Houston and the direction that they want to go in moving forward.