Could Astros Reunite With Former Star in Free Agency This Offseason?

The Houston Astros have been able to survive in the early part of the regular season despite the team not quite living up to its potential.

Coming into the year, the Astros had plenty of question marks. This winter was a challenging one for the franchise to navigate, with the team seemingly trying to retool while still being a contender.

For the last decade, there have been few teams better than Houston, but there could be a bit of a changing of the guard in the American League.

After the Detroit Tigers beat the Astros in the AL Wild Card Round, that could have been the catalyst for the team to try a make some changes.

This offseason, they traded away Kyle Tucker most notably for a strong package of players in return from the Chicago Cubs. Even though Tucker is an NL MVP candidate, Houston did great what appears to be a great return.

However, in addition to losing Tucker, they also saw Alex Bregman leave for the Boston Red Sox in free agency. However, both could be free agents this coming winter, and Houston is going to be in need for some offensive help.

Could the Astros Reunite With Bregman?

Jim Bowden of The Athletic (subscription required) recently listed the Astros surprisingly as a team that could pursue Bregman in the offseason.

“His free-agent market should be even more robust than last offseason with the Red Sox joined by the Yankees, Tigers, Astros, Phillies, and even the Dodgers; he would be an upgrade for all of them at the hot corner.”

Even though Houston is over .500, it has little to do with their offense. The starting rotation and especially the bullpen have been excellent this year for the Astros, and the franchise is waiting on the lineup to catch up.

Some notable players like Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez, and Christian Walker are all not performing up to their standard, leaving Houston in a tough spot.

While Isaac Paredes is performing very well after coming over in the Tucker trade, he could use some help.

While Bregman technically signed a multi-year deal with the Red Sox, he is having an excellent campaign and can opt out after this season. That seems like the logical choice for the star third baseman as of now.

So far, he has slashed .297/.381/.554 with 11 home runs and 35 RBI. It has been one of the best offensive years for the two-time All-Star in quite some time, and he will likely be testing the open market once again.

Even though Paredes is playing well, the Astros could elect to move him to second base and pursue a reunion with Bregman.

As a fan-favorite and a key member of the team for so long, his return to Houston would be most welcome.