Toronto Blue Jays in Position To Offer Most for Houston Astros Star Free Agent

Will the Toronto Blue Jays end up being the team that lands Houston Astros star free agent Alex Bregman?
Sep 27, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman (2) hits a sacrifice fly during the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field
Sep 27, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman (2) hits a sacrifice fly during the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
In this story:

It has been a very busy offseason for the Houston Astros with new faces coming in and familiar faces leaving. 

After being eliminated by the Detroit Tigers in the American League Wild Card round, the Astros figured to be a team that would make some changes this winter. However, nobody likely saw the headlining moves the team elected to make. 

Trading Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs was nothing short of a blockbuster that will have a massive impact on the league.

Coming into the winter, the star player many thought would be the one to leave Houston was Alex Bregman, and due to the return they received in the trade with the Cubs, that will likely come to fruition. 

Despite being a World Series champion and a former All-Star, the talented third baseman remains a free agent.

Recently, Buster Olney of ESPN spoke about what the market is currently looking like for the Gold Glover and where he might end up. 

“Now the Astros have moved on and the Red Sox, Tigers and Blue Jays all have varying degrees of interest. One of the execs speculates that in the end, the Jays are in position to offer the most money, given their level of desperation. Now Bregman has choices to make.”

Even though he hasn’t signed anywhere yet, there are still a number of teams that make sense for Bregman.

The Toronto Blue Jays might be the most logical choice for him if money is the most important thing. 

They have been trying very hard to lure top free agents north of the border, and have been somewhat unsuccessful so far. With Vladimir Guerrero Jr. set to hit free agency next offseason, they are seemingly trying to win now.

By adding a player the caliber of Bregman, it would be a good selling point for the Blue Jays to convince their star to potentially stay. Also, since the team has the hopes of competing in 2025, it would certainly help in the short-term too. 

For the Astros, with Bregman almost certainly leaving, it feels like the end of an era.

He was a huge part of the last decade, but his time in Houston seems over. 

Filling his shoes won’t be easy, but they got both a short-term and long-term option in return. Still, replacing a player who has been fairly consistent over the course of his career with a 4.0 WAR or higher is not going to be easy for either Isaac Paredes or Cam Smith down the line. 

It has been a bit surprising to see Bregman’s market take a long time to unravel considering he is the best player at his position in free agency. However, it just takes one team to make the right offer, and Toronto might end up being that team. 


Published