The Houston Astros are facing the reality of their star third baseman, Alex Bregman, being the most coveted infield free agent in MLB this offseason. Represented by super-agent Scott Boras, the Astros have been unable to sign the LSU star to a long-term deal and after the recent extension agreement between the San Francisco Giants and Matt Chapman, Bregman is now the premiere third base option on the market this winter.

But the Astros may not need to break the bank to retain Bregman, as they’ve recently moved a top prospect to third base and he’s thriving.

Infielder Brice Matthews, a 2023 1st-round pick out of Nebraska, moved from shortstop to third base this summer and has recently been promoted to Triple-A Corpus Christi. Across four levels this year, the righthander is batting .279/.400/.513 with 15 home runs and 31 stolen bases.

Commonly ranked inside the team’s top five prospects, Matthews was a college shortstop at Nebraska but has shown the athleticism and versatility to play multiple positions, with many draft analysts thinking he could excel anywhere in the infield or even centerfield.

But Houston started him at shortstop when he entered the system last season, not using him at third base until this summer, when they entered talks ahead of the trade deadline. Eventually trading for starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi from the Toronto Blue Jays for a three-player package headlined by third baseman Will Wagner was the final move to “clear the deck” ahead of Matthews.

Whether or not Houston feels comfortable giving Matthews the spot right out of spring training is unclear, as he’s only been in Triple-A for a week, going 4-20 with two doubles, four RBI, and a run scored in his six games. But a competition between Matthews and a veteran bridge player feels a lot more likely than paying big money to Bregman on the open market, as Houston has several looming financial decisions to make.

Veteran stars Kyle Tucker and Framber Valdez are both one season away from free agency, while Kikuchi and reliever Kendall Graveman can both walk after this season. The team also has questions at both first base and in the outfield, where the team has had to settle for below-average production while they rotate multiple players through those spots looking for a fix.