Astros GM Reveals Surprise at Bregman Availability: "We Never Realized..."

Houston Astros GM Dana Brown stepped before the media Saturday morning to address his surprise that free agent and longtime Astros star Alex Bregman was still available, and says the door is now "cracked" for continued negotiations.

Astros GM Dana Brown gives an update on where the club stands with Alex Bregman. The sides continue to talk. pic.twitter.com/0vc5poO08c
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) January 25, 2025

"The interesting thing is, when we made some trades and moves earlier this off-season, we never realized that Bregman would still be on the market at this time.

"We've had some conversations," and the door "is cracked." The latest talks, he said, have been "positive.

“The fact that he’s still available, it just makes it interesting. Like ’man, this guy is such a good player, he’s done so many wonderful things here.’"

He admits that there would be some challenges with the lineup based on them having brought in Isaac Parades to play third base earlier this winter. If Bregman was to return, "he'll play third base" admitted Brown, meaning that Parades could shift to second, while Jose Altuve could move to the outfield.

In the end, Brown still calls it a "longshot", but it certainly sounds like a Bregman reunion with Houston is still in the offing.

Bregman, 31, has seen his numbers decline over the past couple of seasons, with a career-low .768 OPS in 2024, but he also won his first Gold Glove at third.