Yankees Back to Being a Threat To Steal Houston Astros Star

The New York Yankees are back to being a serious threat to steal away a Houston Astros 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-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros are set to enter an interesting MLB offseason following their hopeful deep playoff run. They have a couple of high-profile players set to hit the open free agency market.

Of course, those high-profile players are Alex Bregman and Justin Verlander.

Both players seem likely to be candidates for the Astros to re-sign. They are also both going to be highly sought-after free agents.

When it comes to Bregman, his free agency just received a major boost. After Matt Chapman received a massive extension from the San Francisco Giants, he becomes the top overall third base free agent.

MLB insider Ken Rosenthal recently stated that the New York Yankees are a team to watch for Bregman.

"Bregman, who at 30 is a year younger than [Matt] Chapman, now becomes the most prominent free-agent third baseman available. Don’t forget the New York Yankees, who could move Jazz Chisholm Jr. to second in place of Gleyber Torres, opening up third."

At one point, the Yankees were reportedly fading in their Bregman interest due to some off-the-field differences. However, that could change as the free agency market thins out.

During the 2024 MLB season so far with Houston, Bregman has played in 127 games. He has hit 23 home runs to go along with 93 RBI, while batting .259/.315/.444.

Those numbers show why a team like New York, who is a World Series contender, would want to bring him onboard.

For the Yankees, they have another priority that will come before signing or trading for any other talent. They have to make sure to re-sign superstar 25-year-old outfielder Juan Soto. New York will be facing plenty of teams trying to swoop in and steal Soto away.

Hopefully, the Astros will be able to bring Bregman back. He has been a huge part of the franchise for years. Seeing him walk away and play elsewhere would just seem wrong.

All of that being said, they are going to have some difficulties and competition to bring him back. But, their relationship with him that they have had over the last nine years should give them a small advantage.

Expect to hear a ton more rumors about Bregman and his upcoming free agency. The Yankees are just one of many teams who could consider aggressively pursuing the veteran star third baseman when free agency opens up