Jose Altuve really wants Astros to just pay Alex Bregman

Jose Altuve really wants Astros to just pay Alex Bregman

Alex Bregman could very well be in the midst of his final regular season homestand with the Houston Astros. Jose Altuve doesn’t exactly see it that way.

The two faces of Houston’s dynasty first took the field together in 2016, captured the franchise’s first championship together in 2017, and are now seeking a third World Series ring in 2024. There’s no guarantee of a partnership past this season.

Bregman will enter free agency this winter. He has yet to be offered a contract extension from Houston, and a competitive market (and a likely $200-or-so million contract) awaits him this summer. Altuve isn’t ignorant of Bregman’s upcoming free agency. He simply isn’t willing to discuss a reality without his co-star in the infield.

“I don’t see any chances of [Bregman] leaving,” Altuve told The Athletic’s Chandler Rome. “That might be just me. I really think that, at the end of the season, our front office people, GM and ownership [are] going to get a deal done for him.”

Altuve doesn’t speak with such force often. His words carry weight. But more important than his speculation is his conviction regarding Bregman’s importance to Houston. Houston’s third baseman is worth far more than his OPS or WAR totals. He’s the emotional heartbeat of his club, and something of a baseball savant to boot.

Young Houston hitters in recent years rave about Bregman’s slate of tips and tricks. Hunter Brown credits Bregman’s advice on increased sinker usage for turning around his 2024 season. Altuve encapsulated the sentiment rather succinctly this week.

“His professionalism, his desire to win and his desire to get better at the stage he is, he’s a superstar,” Altuve told Rome. “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.”

Houston faces a number of complications in the path to bringing Bregman back in 2025 and beyond. Arizona, Seattle and both New York clubs are all potential suitors for Bregman this winter, each of whom are armed with plenty of payroll flexibility (don’t discount Boston as an additional sneaky contender). There’s also the consideration of Kyle Tucker’s impending free agency, with Houston’s best all-around player set to hit the free market after the 2025 season. This isn’t to say Houston won’t find a deal with Bregman, especially considering his next contract is unlikely to spike past his current $30 million in average annual value. But it only takes one team to present an overwhelming financial offer.

Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman (2), left, talks to Houston Astros hitting coach Troy Snitker (46), right, in the dugout during a regular season Major League Baseball game between the Houston Astros and the Detroit Tigers on August 27, 2023 at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan.

Altuve’s statements this week perhaps dimmed some of the doom and gloom regarding Bregman’s possible return to Houston after 2024. The picture still remains plenty cloudy on that front. Expect a prolonged free agency for Bregman, regardless of whether the Astros are ready to spend appropriately.