New York Mets Emerge As Favorites to Sign Former Houston Astros Legend Bregman

Former Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman could soon be playing for the New York Mets in Queens.

Sep 4, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman (2) high fives teammates after scoring on a RBI single hit by outfielder Ben Gamel (not pictured) in the second inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images / Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

The sweepstakes for former Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman is still underway as the 30-year-old continues to search for the right deal and his next home.

Plenty of teams could use his services and multiple have been connected to him recently expressing interest in retaining his services. But up until now, Bregman's market has failed to materialize after rejecting an offer from the Astros earlier this winter.

It is reported that the two-time World Series champion is searching for an offer north of $200 million, which he has not yet received. In fact, there may only be one team that is willing to offer that type of money to Bregman - which could be seen as an overpay based on recent regression - the New York Mets.

According to USA Today, the Mets are showing strong interest in both Bregman and first baseman Pete Alonso. If they miss out on Bregman, it is expected that they will pivot to Alonso and vice versa.

"The Mets could be the most intriguing team in the Bregman/Alonso sweepstakes. Several executives believe that if the Mets don’t sign Bregman and move third baseman Mark Vientos to first base, they’ll sign Alonso," writes Bob Nightengale. "And if they don’t sign Alonso, they’ll shift to Bregman."

Nightengale also points out that the cold market for Bregman may have something to do with the St. Louis Cardinals placing Nolan Arenado on the trade block. Arenado, while older than Bregman, is a six-time Platinum Glove winner and has similar career offensive production.

"The biggest obstacle for Bregman is that the St. Louis Cardinals also have a premier third baseman on the market, and Nolan Arenado said he’ll waive his no-trade clause for the Red Sox and Mets," writes Nightengale.

At this juncture, it appears Arenado would prefer to play for the Boston Red Sox, which means that New York appears to be Bregman's best shot at obtaining the contract he has been looking for all winter since entering free agency.