Inside the Astros

Scott Boras Rips Houston Astros Over Their Handling of Alex Bregman's Free Agency

After the Houston Astros decided to focus on other moves instead of bringing back Alex Bregman, super agent Scott Boras had some harsh comments about that decision.
May 7, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Sports agent Scott Boras attends the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Miami Marlins at Dodger Stadium
May 7, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Sports agent Scott Boras attends the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Miami Marlins at Dodger Stadium | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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The writing is on the wall that Alex Bregman's time with the Houston Astros is over.

Following the reported contract offer that was extended by the front office and put on the shelf by Bregman and his agent Scott Boras, things really were at a stalemate regarding how much money the franchise was willing to offer their superstar third baseman.

In the meantime, the Astros didn't wait around to get into a negotiating war.

They flipped Kyle Tucker and his expiring contract to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for 2024 All-Star third baseman Isaac Paredes, versatile pitcher Hayden Wesneski and star prospect Cam Smith.

While that deal seemed to signal Houston's willingness to let Bregman walk, it wasn't until they tried to acquire Nolan Arenado that things started to become more clear that this marriage might be over.

Arenado used his no-trade clause to veto this deal, but that only saw the Astros pivot to bringing in first baseman Christian Walker instead of going back to the negotiating table with Bregman.

Because of that, the two-time World Series champion will likely be playing next year, and the remainder of his career, with a different team.

Professional sports is a business.

Both the player and franchise are looking to make the best decisions for themselves in a financial and competitive aspect.

That's largely understood, and perhaps nobody has operated in that manner more than Boras, but when it came to how Houston handled things with his client Bregman, the super agent didn't seem to agree with how it went down.

"Over time, teams learn if you're running from leadership and talent, you're running from the ultimate goal," Boras said per Chandler Rome of The Athletic.

Based on how everything is about money when it comes to Boras and his negotiations, Astros general manager Dana Brown probably had a good laugh to himself and with the rest of the front office hearing those comments.


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Brad Wakai
BRAD WAKAI

Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he did work at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad currently covers the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros for Sports Illustrated/FanNation. He is also the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continues to cover Penn State athletics. Brad is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, discussing topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai