Houston Astros Willing To Offer Star Free Agent Lucrative Contract To Keep Him

Not too long ago, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that the Houston Astros were going to lose star third baseman Alex Bregman in free agency.
The team was doing everything it could to avoid the luxury tax, and bringing him back into the fold would push them deeply over that marker.
Parting ways certainly seemed like something the Astros were expecting based on the return package they received from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for right fielder Kyle Tucker. Isaac Paredes seemed like a plug-and-play replacement at the hot corner immediately and star prospect Cam Smith would take over down the road.
However, some new developments have led to speculation that Houston could bring back their homegrown star.
For starters, they cleared some money when they made a second trade with the Cubs, sending them relief pitcher Ryan Pressly in what was essentially a salary dump.
With the extra money in their pocket, a reunion between the Astros and Bregman became more possible.
As shared by Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the team is working hard on bringing the two-time champion back. At the very least, they are willing to pay him $156 million over six years.
However, that deal falls short of $28.5 million, and is one of the reasons why it wasn’t accepted in the first place. As Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 Houston shared, it will likely take more than that to get something done.
That's because other teams - the Cubs, Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers - are still involved in the sweepstakes, per Heyman.
On a positive note for Houston, at least one team has bowed out of the running for the star player; the New York Mets.
Alexander noted the National League East contenders, who signed Juan Soto to the largest contract in sports history earlier this winter, is no longer involved in the Bregman sweepstakes.
That is excellent news for all of the franchises involved since the deep pockets of their owner, Steve Cohen, is not something any other ownership group wants to go head-to-head with in a potential bidding war.
There is still a lot to figure out when it comes to where Bregman will land.
At this point, it has been reported that Houston is a longshot to land him. But, if they are willing to increase the amount of money they previously offered, the franchise legend could be back with the only team he's ever known.