If two teams have truly hated each other for the last decade in Major League Baseball, it’s the Houston Astros and New York Yankees.

The Astros and Yankees have squared off in the playoffs four times since 2015, and Houston has won all four. Plus, in 2017, they were caught using technology to steal signs in real-time, which Yankees general manager Brian Cashman is apparently still furious about in 2024.

Yankees fans have a disdain for Astros players, especially those who were on the roster back in 2017. However, if their team could sign one of those players and fix one of their biggest lineup issues, it’s doubtful most New Yorkers would complain.

That could be the case this winter, when Astros third baseman Alex Bregman hits free agency. Jim Bowden of The Athletic named the Yankees as one of the top fits for Bregman, while projecting him for a seven-year, $185.5 million contract.

“Houston has a history in free agency of saying goodbye to its star players, such as Carlos Correa and George Springer, who both departed when the Astros weren’t willing to commit to the long-term contracts they could land elsewhere,” Bowden said.

“Astros general manager Dana Brown has said the team will make Bregman an offer, but will it be close to how the rest of the industry views him?”

It makes almost too much sense from the Yankees’ perspective. Second baseman Gleyber Torres is about to hit free agency after a disappointing year, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. is playing out of position at third base. Bregman would take over third, Chisholm would slide to second, and the Yankees would be a terrifying lineup to face once again.

The Astros have had the upper hand on the Yankees for the entire decade, but perhaps the tides are finally turning. If New York wins a World Series and immediately steals Houston’s cornerstone third baseman, it could take a while for the Astros to get up off the mat.