Astros Predicted to Sign Star Slugger to $210 Million Contract

Getty Astros star Alex Bregman

It’s been a wild half-season for the Astros, who appeared to be headed into a rebuilding year after a difficult start and a slew of injuries that left the pitching rotation in a shambles. But the team has rallied and even made some trade deadline acquisitions—questionable ones, perhaps—to attempt to get Houston over the finish line for an MLB playoff spot, which would be the eighth in a row for the franchise.

Few players are emblematic of the up-and-down nature of this season quite like star third baseman Alex Bregman, who struggled to open the season and had his name crop up in trade rumors as he approaches free agency.

Bregman was batting .206 on Memorial Day weekend, with just a .273 on-base percentage and a .317 slugging percentage. The Astros would slide to 24-32 that week, 6.5 games back in the AL West.

But since then, it’s been a resurrection for both Bregman and the Astros. They’ve gone 33-21 since late May, and are now in a tie with the Mariners for the division lead. Their postseason odds have risen to 45.5%. And Bregman has been a driver of that, batting .292 with a .344 on-base percentage and a .493 slugging percentage since May 28.

He’s in a much stronger position heading into free agency—and at Bleacher Report, he is being predicted to land a mega-contract to stick with the Astros, worth seven years and $210 million.

Astros Could Face Competition

In an article this week titled, “Way-Too-Early MLB Free-Agency Predictions Post-2024 Trade Deadline,” B/R’s Zachary Rymer writes that there will be plenty of interest in Bergman as a free agent, but that the Astros will ultimately pay up to keep him in place.

“As long as Bregman remains on this track, he’s going to enter the market as a legitimate candidate for a $200 million deal. That would limit his market, but some notable teams could be in the mix for a big-ticket third baseman,” Rymer wrote.

“The Yankees could use one, as could the Dodgers, Mariners and maybe the Mets and the Nationals if the latter indeed wants to get back in the spending game. As with (Pete) Alonso, though, there would seem to be a decent chance of a reunion here. Bregman’s swing fits better at Minute Maid Park than it does anywhere else. And as noted earlier, the Astros are slated for a windfall of flexibility this winter.”

Alex Bregman Did Not Sign an Extension

While Bregman figures to attract attention, there is little appetite for letting him leave Houston. Already, the Astros locked up second baseman Jose Altuve to a long-term extension, worth $125 million over five years, and while no deal has come to fruition on Bregman, the Astros are in position to bring him back.

Bregman’s agent, Scott Boras, is notorious declining to negotiate on extensions, preferring instead to take players to free agency. That will be the case with Bregman.

GM Dana Brown addressed Bregman’s situation back in Spring Training.

“There’s really not a timeline on this right now and at some point, we will make an offer,” Brown said then, via MLB.com. “I think we both respect that and that’s pretty much the conversation. Look, we love Alex, we’d love to have him here. As far as a timeline, we just don’t have it, but we will at some point make him an offer.

“We know how good he is and how good he’s been for this franchise. It would be tough to look out at third base and not see that elite defense. And so at some point we’ll circle back and have those conversations.”