Looking like no go for Bregman after looking at news today. He would have already signed with Astros if truly interested. Time to focus on the team we have.
Oh the yips were bad but he hasn't done that in a while. I think his poor defense is overblown. I also think he would be fine in left field. He's still pretty fast. I don't know where Altuve will go when he can't field anymore since we have Alvarez.
Oh look the neighborhood troll rolling up on the scene with his 3rd rate education! Johnny come lately staying true to form, with zero to offer. FOH, peckerwood.
if the Astros have not pulled their original offer, what makes you think this is over? Spring training hasn’t started. Bregs can wait to see if someone blinks and ups the ante. If not, then he can decide what he wants. This doesn’t mean he isn’t truly interested. He is biding his time at no expense to anyone other than maybe impatient fans who want a resolution. It is a free market negotiation. Like buying a car. Multiple things you can go with. Have some cars you prefer more than others, maybe one you like the most, but you want to see what deals you can get. You have a couple more weeks to get this done.
There will always be a chance until he signs elsewhere. Crane is not going to spend his money - that's designated for Alex, or back in Crane's pocket. So at any time he can decide to just give up looking for greener pastures. But thats also why he is feeling no pressure
Not sure. I can understand the Astros being firm on the $156/6, but there are creative ways of making this work out for both. $142.5/5 is 28.5 mil. Sure that's lower but he gets his $28.5 and doesn't even seem to be discussed. $171/6 with that 6th year being a vesting year depending on how many games he plays. This year may not come to pass but to Bregman's ego he comes out looking good on the contract. The contract could also be this with incentives to get him to $171 max. $156/6 with an opt out after 2025. Bregs gets his money this year and if he has a great year then he could opt out and go for FA again. If he has a down year then he still has a real good 5 years left. The only reason I can think of that these aren't considered is because Bregman thinks he's holding all the cards and is firm on 6 years and $28.5 mil/yr (which is no less than $171). Yes $171 is less than the $200 originally asked for, and it seems like he's hoping the Astros can come up a bit as he's willing to come down but that's not happening. Either way it looks like the difference between Bregs coming back and not is $15 (or $2.5 mil/yr). And neither is willing budge any more from their figures. If Crane wanted Bregs back I don't think he'd have a hard figure of $156 and nothing more. Even $5 mil more to $161 could be a good faith sway in Bregs direction, but because that wasn't offered Bregman is not caving in on his side any more. Thus we find ourselves in this stand-off, that's not really a stand-off. Unless Crane is willing to bump up the $156 even a tad, or be creative, Bregman won't be back. I'm sure he'd take the Detroit deal and feel justified in doing so. But something on Bregs end is making him think there's a chance the Astros could relent, and so he waits it out. Or Boras has told Bregs that a mystery team could be in play suddenly and to be patient for 2 more weeks.
I think it's very simple. The Astros have left the offer on the table and it's not going anywhere. The Christian Walker's of the offseason are gone so waiting Alex out doesn't cost anything. Boras knows this and loses nothing by continuing to push and hope another team steps up. They both know the Astros aren't raising their offer so I think it will go pretty quick if anyone offered a better ( not necessarily higher) contract. Until/unless that happens I'm going to assume the Astros' offer is the one Alex prefers. IMO the longer this goes on the less likely it is that a better offer happens. Detroit may have a 6 year offer. It may even have a higher guarantee and an opt out but I doubt it's enough to be preferable in Alex's mind or he would have accepted it by now. Toronto may have a great offer. Boston and the Cubs may have offered the AAV he wanted. But just watching and following along, I don't see how any of them have a chance without continuing to raise their offers. By now, I think they will need to outbid Houston by quite a bit to "win" him. It may not happen until ST actually starts but every day makes it more likely he returns. Caveat: if Alonso moves on from the Mets I could see them entering and raising the stakes and make him the offer he has been waiting for.
I’d give him until the start of camp and if he hasn’t signed by then, sign Hayward and see If one of the youngsters can impress enough to win the job.
I think the Astros are a standout organization. They will do right by Bregman. I know the Astros know that Bregman has played his tail off for them. But baseball is a business that operates under financial constraints. The Astros are currently under the cap after trading Presley. Though it seems they would be okay going into that 1st tier by coming to terms with Bregman. It seems the Astros let the Bregman camp know their final offer (yet put no pressures on Bregman to agree to it); seems they left it open ended so that he could truly test the open market. Perhaps the league thought they were going to lowball Bregman, since the Astros secured a 3rd baseman in Paredes. But the Astros going public that the offer still stands, and his buddy Atuve saying he’d move to LF strengthens Bregman’s position in any ongoing negotiations with other teams. Seems the Astros are doing Bregman a huge solid. Because the Astros could easily have said they are done, and are happy with their offseason. But they are not going to let Bregman get done dirty by other major league teams.
I've grown tired over all the drama myself. If 156 million isn't enough for him at his age I don't even care if he leaves at this point. He's not going to get better with age.
I agree. The drama begins when spring training opens. The calculus shifts a bit because the Astros need to prepare for the season. How much time does Altuve put in at 2B and LF? Same with Paredes and 3B and 2B. Maybe it doesn’t matter bc we like positional flexibility so it is good for both of them to cross train. From the Astros perspective, do we move on from Bregs, or does Crane budge to close the deal From Bregs perspective, does he try to leverage the increased uncertainty in ST and continue to hold out for more, effectively playing a game of chicken with Crane? Does he care if the uncertainty sort of screws over Altuve in the short term? No way to know the answers to these questions until or unless they arise. My guess is that Crane and Bregs have an understanding - crane keeps offer open (a which helps Bregs test the market) but Bregs must decide in time to report on time for spring training. And this is only because Crane values Bregs and what he has done for the organization.
The only "negotiation tactics" that Boras seems to be using here for the Astros are: 1) Leaks that Bregman doesnt want an annual paycut from his $28.5mil. 2) Leaks that there are more teams out there. Seems like if we REALLY wanted him back (and I question if Crane does) we could massage a deal like Altuves....something with higher pay upfront, with an option out, and a fade as he ages. And still land in around $156mil. $1mil signing bonus like Chapman. 2025: 30 (OO) - Age 31, making more than Chapman 2026: 30 (OO) - Age 32 2027: 30 - Age 33 2028: 25 - Age 34, flat to Chapman 2029: 20 - Age 35 2030: 20 - Age 36 As much as I love Breggy, I really worry about this Altuve to LF move.
The only drama is everyone reading a "Bregman Contract Talks Thread" every day and then complaining about not getting the answers they want. Neither Bregman nor the Astros seem to be in a hurry. Neither has said anything publicly negatively about the other. There is literally no drama here. Its just run of the mill free agency - there are always guys that sign early and others that sign late.
This "paycut" bullcrap is ridiculous. He made $20 million per on his last contract. I don't think he is even worth $26 million at this point, and especially not for 6 years. Bregman at 36 might be out of baseball given his current trajectory.
Considering he's past his prime, and will only go downhill I think it's too much money too. As for Altuve in left field, who even knows how good he will be, especially throwing it in for big plays in the infield.
An infield of Walker, Paredes, Peña and Bregman would be fun to watch defensively and arguably the best
I am with Major- there is no incentive for Bregman and Boras not to wait to see how the Pete Alonso situation is resolved.
