MLB Insider Gives Houston Astros Slugger Intriguing Free Agency Ranking

If the Houston Astros lose this star to free agency, it will likely be to a team that is willing to pay him like a top star.

Aug 12, 2024; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman (2) hits a home run against the Tampa Bay Rays in the first inning at Tropicana Field. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

From an awful start to his recent surge, Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman is showing himself to be the offensive player he normally is from season to season.

The right-handed hitter is on his way to what has become his normal production the past three seasons. He’s slashing .261/.318/.445/.764 with 19 home runs and 59 RBI. He should reach at least 20 home runs for the third straight season but will probably fall a bit short of the 95 RBI average he’s set the past two seasons.

Still, Bregman should find a suitor — or a few — when he hits free agency this offseason.

MLB insider Jim Bowden of The Athletic — a former general manager himself — ranked Bregman No. 10 among his Top 50 free agents. He’s the sixth highest-ranked position player, but two of those players ahead of him can only be free agents if they trigger opt-outs.

There is no such opt-out for Bregman, as he wraps up the final year of the five-year, $100 million deal he signed before the 2020 season.

Bowden called Bregman the “epitome of a championship-caliber player.”

“He’s a tremendous teammate and wants to be at the plate with the game on the line,” Bowden said. “He has elite plate discipline and has finished in the top 22 of MVP voting four times.”

Bregman also won two World Series championships in 2017 and 2022 and has played in 97 postseason games. He would be a valuable addition to a team trying to claim a final piece for a championship.

That team could be the Astros, who will surely get a shot at trying to keep him. Houston just extended Jose Altuve for five more years. But, Houston must also find a way to extend other starts, including outfielder Kyle Tucker and pitcher Framber Valdez.

The Astros may have potential replacements on the roster right now, in case they are unable to keep him. Houston called up No. 5 prospect Zach Dezenzo last week, and he’s a player that can play third base, along with other positions. The same could be said for recent call-up Shay Whitcomb.

Both have the advantage of being rookies and giving the Astros years of cost control.

Bowden’s colleague at The Athletic, Ken Rosenthal, isn’t so sure Bregman will get the big deal his agent, Scott Boras, will be seeking. He told the podcast Fair Territory that might not get an optimal deal.

“He's not having a horrible year,” Rosenthal said. “He's still an above average offensive player and, of course, a consistent player overall, for the most part. But this is not what he would envision for his platform season.”

Bregman and Boras will find out where free agency takes him this offseason.