Alex Bregman is heading to Boston on a massive $120 million deal over three years, leaving the Houston Astros after eight seasons and two World Series rings.
The Red Sox landed their new star infielder with a contract that includes some interesting twists – opt-outs after years one and two, plus some creative payment deferrals that make the real value a bit lower.
But what does this mean for Houston? They’re losing a franchise cornerstone who’s been with them since they picked him second overall back in 2015.
The Astros actually saw this coming. They traded for Isaac Paredes and prospect Cam Smith earlier this winter, making sure they had options at third base. They also brought in Christian Walker to shore up first base.
Things got interesting when Bregman’s free agency dragged on. The Astros jumped back in the mix, even trading Ryan Pressly to free up money. Jose Altuve even offered to move to left field if it meant keeping Bregman around.
But it wasn’t meant to be.
Now Paredes gets his shot at the hot corner. He’s got a pretty interesting skill set – he’s not the hardest hitter, but he’s really good at pulling the ball in the air. That could work really well with Houston’s short left field wall, just like it did for Bregman.
The money situation is worth watching. The Astros are now sitting about $23 million under the luxury tax line, with roughly $10-12 million to play with before Opening Day.
Their outfield could use some help – Ben Gamel isn’t exactly a superstar in left field. But there aren’t many great free agents left who’d fit.
They might look at making a trade, or they could give some young guys a shot. Players like Shay Whitcomb, Zach Dezenzo, and Jacob Melton could get their chance to step up.
There’s also a draft angle here. The Astros will get an extra pick (after the fourth round) as compensation for losing Bregman. That gives them four picks in the top 165 instead of three – not bad for a team with a pretty good track record of finding talent.
