Each playoff series this October marks the potential last games of Alex Bregman’s time with the Houston Astros. Houston general manager Dana Brown hopes to avoid such an outcome before the start of the 2025 season.
Brown said Tuesday he plans to meet with Bregman’s agent, Scott Boras, shortly after the end of the 2024 season. Brown noted he plans to have “some good conversations” with Boras regarding a Bregman contract, adding he would “love for [Bregman]” to remain in Houston.
“Ultimately we want Bregman to stay, he’s done a lot of good things here in the orgaization,” Brown said Tuesday at Minute Maid Park before Game 1 of the American League wild card series. “I’ve had some conversations with Boras and we’ve talked about meeting up at the end of the season and having some good conversations.
Article continues below this ad
“We’d love for [Bregman] to stay. We hope we can get it done.”
Brown hopes to retain Bregman and keep both of his All-Star infielders on the roster through the 2020s. The economics could say otherwise. Bregman is likely to command a contract near or surpassing $200 million when he enters free agency this winter. He faces no shortage of likely suitors, with potential contract offers emerging from Seattle, Arizona, Boston and both New York clubs, among others. And while Houston faces no salary cap in Major League Baseball, Astros owner Jim Crane has never handed out a contract surpassing $200 million.
Keeping Bregman will require an unprecendented payment from Crane. Bregman’s teammates believe he’s well worth the price tage.
Article continues below this ad
“[Bregman’s] professionalism, his desire to win and his desire to get better at the stage he is, he’s a superstar,” Altuve told The Athletic’s Chandler Rome last month. “You don’t find a lot of guys trying to get better like he does every single year, every single day. We really need to reward guys like him.”
Bregman declined to address his future in Houston past 2024 on Tuesday morning, telling the media, “I’m focused on winning games.” For the two-time World Series champion, his future salary figures are secondary to the thrill of competition. Bregman is maniacal about his preparation. He talks often about his enjoyment of playoff baseball, when stakes are heightened and heart rates rise. Both Bregman and Altuve sport a notably steady hand in pressure situations. A dominant run across the last seven seasons is the result.
Article continues below this ad
Bregman, Altuve and wild card Game 1 starter Framber Valdez will take the field at 1:32 p.m. CT on Tuesday. Fellow southpaw and likely 2024 American League Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal will take the mound for the Detroit Tigers in the first leg of the best-of-three series.
Michael Shapiro is a sports reporter for Chron, covering the Astros, Rockets, Texans and every team in town. Michael is a Denver native and graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, and a noted fan of pull-up threes, wide-receiver passes and a good hot fudge sundae.
