Top Landing Spots for Free Agent Alex Bregman

Will the Houston Astros really start the 2025 season without Alex Bregman in the lineup?

It’s one of the most interesting questions of the offseason, and its answer will likely determine the free agency strategy for not only the defending American League West champions, but also several other franchises that will be vying for Bregman’s services this winter.

After nine seasons in Houston, where Bregman was not only one of the key members of the lineup but also one of the reasons for the team’s two World Series titles during that time, the 30-year-old Bregman is testing the free agent market for the first time.

His career 132 OPS+ shows what kind of difference-maker he can be at the plate, and the Gold Glove he won this season is a reminder of the value he can bring on defense.

Sure, there are still plenty who associate Bregman with Houston’s sign-stealing scandal … and that may be a stain he can never remove. However, while he may be showered with boos outside of southern Texas, Bregman is still a weapon that many MLB teams would want to have in their lineup.

That’s one of the biggest reasons why MLBTradeRumors.com is projecting Bregman to sign a seven-year deal worth $182 million, and why they ranked him third on their list of the top 50 free agents of the 2024-25 class.

That price is far lower than what The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal thinks Bregman and agent Scott Boras may be seeking. Rosenthal suggests they could be targeting something closer to the $350 million, 11-year deal Manny Machado signed with the San Diego Padres.

Knowing the price for Bregman is going to be high no matter what, where could the long-time Astros third baseman end up for 2025 and beyond? Let’s take a look at five possibilities.

Houston Astros

Houston’s stadium may be undergoing a name change for the 2025 season, and there are plenty within the Astros organization who would love to make sure that Bregman is there to help christen it.

For those looking for a Bregman reunion in Houston, there are signs of hope, with Astros owner Jim Crane saying that spending on the 2025 roster may be in line with what the team has done in previous seasons. That would indicate that the Astros may not shy away from what it would take to keep Bregman in-house.

Crane has acknowledged that, with Boras as Bregman’s agent, nothing will come easy in the negotiation process or cheap when it comes to the final sum it will take to sign him. However, if it comes down to equal numbers between a pair of teams and one of those is Houston, the Astros may be able to convince Bregman that familiarity and continuing to play for just one franchise are enough reasons to not look for greener pastures.

New York Mets

After making it to the National League Championship Series in 2024, make no mistake that Mets owner Steve Cohen will do whatever it takes to get to the World Series in 2025.

That includes, of course, the pursuit of Juan Soto. While Soto is at the top of so many teams’ wish lists, there are few that will actually be able to afford him. One of those is the Mets, and whether or not they are able to land Soto will determine just how much they could chase Bregman.

Sliding Bregman into the lineup at third base or designated hitter could certainly ease the potential free agency loss of Pete Alonso.

With Mark Vientos putting together a season with an OPS+ of 135, the Mets finished 2024 ranked fourth among MLB’s 30 teams in Baseball Reference Wins Above Average (bWAA) produced at the hot corner. While the Mets don’t have to bring in a third baseman, adding Bregman could deepen the lineup at third or DH. (New York has a need to address at the DH spot as well.)

Philadelphia Phillies

When it comes to Bregman and the City of Brotherly Love, the Alec Bohm situation is one to watch here, as is just how much Philadelphia is willing to spend this offseason.

If Dave Dombrowski goes into trader mode and Bohm is truly on the trade block, as has been rumored, Bregman would be a natural fit at third base for a team that is loaded with talent and still salty over last season’s exit in the National League Division Series.

However, Dombrowski has mentioned that he believes the Phillies don’t necessarily need another superstar in the lineup. With that in mind, could the Phillies use Bohm as a trade piece to boost the back end of the rotation or bullpen?

Factor all of that together and Philadelphia could be the long shot of these five potential landing places … but still a possibility knowing Dombrowski has surprised before.

Detroit Tigers

A franchise that surprised so many last season with its sudden growth and late-season run to get into the postseason, Detroit is looking to build on that success in 2025. An area where this team can build is third base, a position where the Tigers ranked 24th in MLB last season with -1.3 bWAA at the spot.

The addition of Bregman would be a coup for the Tigers and would reunite him with manager A.J. Hinch, someone who knows him very well from his days in Houston. Put those factors together and it’s easy to see why Bregman would be a good fit in the Motor City.

Toronto Blue Jays

The Blue Jays are seemingly always going after the big free agents, right? It would make sense that the Blue Jays would be a potential landing spot for Bregman after Toronto was linked heavily to Shohei Ohtani last season and has been named in the Soto sweepstakes this year.

The Jays are coming off a disappointing 74-win season and looking at a potential future without Vladimir Guerrero Jr. anchoring the lineup. Bregman would not only make an impact for this coming season, but would also give the franchise a face moving forward. In addition, he would put an end to the rotating cast of characters at third base the Blue Jays saw last season when seven different players fielded the position.

The Blue Jays need bats, and Bregman would provide some pop wherever he would fit into the lineup. Will this be the time that Toronto lands the prize the franchise has sought for so long?