Higher than that. If Bregman wanted Detroit or Toronto that badly, he would have signed. The Cubs and Red Sox only have four-year offers on the table.
It feels like the "magical" run of the last few years is over, and may not come around again for a long time. Is that overly pessimistic? The pitching talent is a maybe, but the fielding and hitting talent is limited. I am open to being wrong and surprised.
This is a complete ego thing with Bregs as he's willing to take less guaranteed money in this 30s because he's buttsore the Astros didn't value him more. Fine with that. Astros are the best place for him. Chicago and Detroit he'd have a very hard time hitting the ball out in those parks (so a prove it deal would be against him) Boston seems to be his other better choice but has it's own drawbacks (including moving over to another position and still having to prove it for another contract). And he just flat out doesn't want to go to Toronto it seems. So, the only reason he doesn't come back to the Astros is simply ego. Good luck to him.
Yeah we are on the downhill side of the golden era of Astros baseball. We have fallen back to the pack.
I don’t think Bregman is willing to take less guaranteed money to bet on himself with a short-term deal with opt outs. He’s going to be 32 in March 2026, and the odds of him turning back the clock to have an MVP-caliber offensive season are very slim. That’s why he wants a six-or-seven year deal. Like others in this thread have said, I think Bregman and Boras were waiting to see if the Mets would pivot to him if they couldn’t reach a deal with Pete Alonso. That option is now off the table.
Treating a player right is not as simple as paying him more money unless that's all the player wants.
It’s definitely an inflection point. If Houston doesn’t get generally positive development from several of its young controllable players this season, they’re going to be in bad shape because they’re losing Framber and Altuve is aging. But there’s a ton of places to look if you want to be optimistic. Alvarez, Diaz, Paredes, and Brown are controllable stars. There’s tons of high ceiling prospects who could end up solidifying the outfield and pitching staff. The Astros have a lot of money coming off the books after this season.
I agree that there is room for optimism but this is going to be a very important season for the unproven guys and prospects if this is going to continue.
I personally think we’ll know a ton about the Astros future by June 1. Most of their prospects are starting at levels they’ve already played at and so should really be putting up very good numbers over their first 200pa/40ip. I think Houston will have 4-5 guys on most mid-season top 100 prospect lists (and/or will have graduated 2-3 guys into core big league roles); if not, the future will start to be pretty bleak.
Assume Bregman wants 28.5 million over 6 years. That way he doesn’t take a pay cut. How long does he wait to get that and who gives him that? I don’t see any team close right now. Astros still have best offer. “Alex Bregman declined the Houston Astros six-year, $156 million offer, viewing the proposed annual salary of $26 million as a pay cut from his previous $28.5 million per year.”
that's why he'd probably take a shorter term deal, with less money overall, but more $/year. I get it. I'm not taking a pay-cut either when coming off a GG season and still within physical prime years. And I helped the team out by signing an arbitration cost controlled extension with 2 years of inflation-proof FA money. (these thoughts are from Alex' perspective, not mine... then again, I'm not taking a pay cut either right now... even if I have to work for another contract again in 2-3 years).
"This interest was re-stated on Thursday, as Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported Bregman is still looking for a six or seven-year contract, and that he has "no interest" in a short-term deal." That would leave only the Astros then unless he is considering the Jays
So the Astros structure the contract for 28.5 mil the first five yrs of the contract so his feelings won't be hurt. (28.5 X 5= 142.5) The last yr of the six yr contract he gets 13.5 when he'll be 37 yrs old.
Thanks booob... lol. Of course he'd take both a long term deal and a pay-raise. But in the scenario where there are no other 6 or 7 year deals worth going after (or none whatsoever if the Astros pull their deal), he'd take the higher $/year short term deal. It is curious that they've backed off the 7 year+ deal demand... now its 6 or 7. Blatantly obvious that they just want the Astros to raise their $/year... but they're bidding against themselves. The Astros could also re-structrure the deal to pay him more for the first few years, and much less for later.... if semantics is what will seal the deal.
From the Wonka Computer: The main reasons why no team is offering Alex Bregman a 6-year, $171 million deal (which averages $28.5M per year) 1. Declining Performance – While still a solid player, Bregman’s offensive production has dipped from his peak years (2018–2019). Teams may be hesitant to commit a massive long-term contract if they believe he’s already past his prime. 2. Age & Future Projection – Bregman will be 31 years old when a new deal kicks in. A 6-year contract would take him into his mid-to-late 30s, a period where players often see a decline in both hitting and defensive ability. 3. Market Dynamics – The current free agent market hasn’t been as aggressive for aging stars outside of the absolute elite tier (e.g., Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto in the future). Teams may feel they can get comparable production from cheaper alternatives. 4. Defensive Concerns – While still a solid defender at third base, there’s concern that as he ages, he may need to transition to first base or DH, reducing his overall value. 5. Astros’ Hesitation – Houston reportedly offered 6 years, $156 million ($26M per year), but if the team that knows him best won’t go higher, it raises questions about how other teams value him. 6. Luxury Tax Considerations – Teams near the luxury tax threshold may be unwilling to commit to a deal that could push them into heavy tax penalties. 7. Other Free Agent & Trade Options – Clubs may prefer to wait for younger or more dynamic options in upcoming free agent classes (like Juan Soto or Manny Machado in future years) rather than overpay for Bregman now. If Bregman is set on $28.5M per year, teams may view him as a good-but-not-great player who’s asking for elite money. If his demands drop, he’ll probably find more suitors.
