New York Yankees Unlikely to Pursue Houston Astros Star Third Baseman

The New York Yankees have reportedly cooled on pursuing a star from the Houston Astros now.

Sep 22, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman (2) hits a home run during the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Minute Maid Park. / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros have had a pretty wild offseason so far, and more can certainly happen for the franchise.

It was a disappointing end to the 2024 campaign for the Astros. Losing in the American League Wild Card Round to the Detroit Tigers likely wasn’t something that they expected to happen, especially considering their success for much of the last decade.

Coming into the winter, the main player that was worth monitoring for Houston was Alex Bregman. The star third baseman has been the model of consistency for the Astros in both the lineup and on the field.

However, due to the shocking trade of Kyle Tucker and receiving two potential options at third base, Bregman’s time in Houston appears to be over.

As the best third baseman on the market this offseason, there are still several suitors for the talented slugger.

However, one team that was potentially interested earlier in the offseason, appears to have cooled on pursuing him.

According to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, that team is the New York Yankees.

“New York doesn’t appear to have interest in signing Bregman to a nine-figure deal, especially given the penalties it would incur for signing a second player who rejected a qualifying offer.”

After losing Juan Soto, it has been a strong offseason for the Yankees. They have added some good players like Max Fried, Devin Williams, Cody Bellinger, and Paul Goldschmidt.

While those are all solid additions that fill needs, New York does still either have a hole at second base or third base, depending on where they want to play Jazz Chisholm.

Bregman would certainly be a good fit at the position for the Yankees, but with a potential $200 million contract and the penalties of signing another player who declined a qualifying offer, New York looking elsewhere makes sense.

Even though he has been an excellent player, the market for Bregman does seem to be a bit quieter than expected. Perhaps the asking price of Scott Boras might be a tad too high, but he is a solid player.

While a return to the Astros seems extremely unlikely, the slugger is still one of the best players left on the market. However, the Yankees not being interested anymore is certainly good news for the Astros, as it would sting to see their star go to New York.

Furthermore, while it has been a very active offseason for Houston, they have seemingly done a good job so far reshaping their roster this winter.