fielded ball to first base for an out during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Minute Maid Park. / Erik Williams-Imagn Images

Three months into the MLB offseason, Alex Bregman remains a free agent.

The 30-year-old third baseman is one of the top position players on the market, as he has been all winter long. The Houston Astros trading reliever Ryan Pressly to the Chicago Cubs on Sunday suggested that they were shedding payroll to make room for Bregman, but there hasn’t been much movement since.

USA Today’s Bob Nightengale went on Tuesday night’s episode of “Area 45 with Bijani and Creighton” to break down where things stand between Bregman and the Astros. The six-year, $156 million deal they offered him in December is reportedly still on the table, but at least one other suitor is in the same ballpark.

According to Nightengale, the Toronto Blue Jays are “still big on” Bregman and have offered him a six-year contract as well. That stands in opposition to the Boston Red Sox, who have been hesitant to give Bregman a long-term deal.

The Astros do not seem to be intimidated by the Blue Jays’ pursuit of Bregman, though, considering Texas does not have state income taxes. Bregman’s tax bill would be far higher in Toronto than it would be in Houston, so Nightengale has theorized that the Astros wouldn’t feel threatened by a bid on Bregman worth less than $180 million.

Bregman and his agent, Scott Boras, are seemingly holding out for a $30 million average annual salary. Perhaps Toronto could beat Houston to that magic number, putting the ball in Bregman’s court.

Less than three weeks remain until Spring Training gets underway, compressing the timeline that Bregman, the Astros and the Blue Jays have to complete negotiations.

Bregman won a Gold Glove in 2024 after falling short his first three times as a finalist. He also hit .260 with 26 home runs, 75 RBI, a .768 OPS and 4.1 WAR on the year.

Between 2018 and 2019, Bregman hit . 291 with a .970 OPS, averaging 36 home runs, 44 doubles, 108 RBI, eight stolen bases and an 8.4 WAR per year in that short span. Over the last four seasons, he has hit .262 with a .795 OPS, averaging 22 home runs, 28 doubles, 80 RBI, two stolen bases and a 3.9 WAR annually.

If Bregman returns to Houston, trade acquisition Isaac Paredes could move from third base to second base. That would bump Jose Altuve to left field, which he recently admitted he is willing to do.

Should the Blue Jays come out on top in the Bregman sweepstakes, they would further stack an infield that already includes All-MLB first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., All-Star shortstop Bo Bichette and Gold Glove second baseman Andrés Giménez.

The Red Sox and Detroit Tigers are still involved as well, to varying degrees. But if Bregman is dead-set on landing a long-term contract, Houston and Toronto appear to be his most likely landing spots.

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