The Houston Astros' offseason has been quite the roller-coaster ride, especially considering the Alex Bregman sweepstakes.
The offseason began with the Astros likely the favorites to land Bregman. After reports indicated the two sides were nearly $50 million apart on a deal, the Astros pivoted to a blockbuster trade with the Chicago Cubs that sent Kyle Tucker to the Windy City and brought Isaac Paredes to Houston.
But Houston still needs another corner infielder, so it pivoted to another potential trade, this one with the St. Louis Cardinals for infielder Nolan Arenado. Arenado reportedly used his no-trade clause to block this potential deal, leaving the Astros right back at square one.
Cody Williams of FanSided recently suggested the Astros will pivot back to Bregman as a backup plan to whiffing on Arenado. Bregman is projected to sign a $119 million deal, per Spotrac, but his real contract will likely be closer to $200 million.
"Given that the Astros had the Arenado trade at the finish line, the organization was clearly intent on not paying Alex Bregman and moving on from him," Williams wrote. "With Arenado off the table, the most logical first step is to see if a reunion is now salvageable in Houston. Yes, this might be the most expensive option for the franchise in this spot but, when you're backed into a corner, sometimes the club has to make a desperate maneuver such as this."
Houston is going to have to overpay for Bregman if it wants an All-Star-level third baseman to play opposite of Paredes at first base. It's been made clear that the Astros legend isn't willing to accept a contract for around $150 million, so Houston may need to dig a little deeper into its pockets to find the money for the longtime Astro.
If not, Bregman will land with the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, or Detroit Tigers while the Astros struggle to find a replacement.
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