The Astros are apparently listening to trade offers for third baseman Alex Bregman

Bregman was selected with the second overall pick in the 2015 draft, and has spent his entire eight-year career with the Houston Astros. With the team, he’s won a World Series title, as well as a fake one when the Astros cheated their way to the top in 2017.

The 29-year-old had a great season with the Astros in 2023, slashing .262/.363/.441 with 25 homers in 724 plate appearances. He also had a higher BB% (12.7%) than K% (12%) and finished with a 125 wRC+. He’s not quite on Chapman’s level defensively, as he had 5 Defensive Runs Saved and 0 Outs Above Average in 1417.1 innings fielded at third.

Bregman’s best season came in 2019, which is actually the same year I peaked. He slashed .296/.423/.592 with a career-high 41 homers in 690 plate appearances, along with an insane 17.2 BB% and 12 K% for a 167 wRC+ and 8.2 fWAR. Since then, his best season was in 2022 when he slashed .259/.366/.454 with 23 homers in 656 plate appearances, along with a 13.3 BB% and an 11.7 BB% for a 136 wRC+ and 5.5 fWAR.

For his career, Bregman is slashing .274/.373/.487 with 165 home runs in 4198 plate appearances. His BB% sits at 12.7%, while he has a slightly high 13.3 K%. He’s accumulated 35.2 fWAR in eight seasons, and has a career 137 wRC+.

Compared to Chapman’s career .240/.329/.461 slash line with 155 homers in 3588 plate appearances (118 wRC+ and 27.4 fWAR), Bregman offers a lot more with the bat, which is an identity the Blue Jays may be shifting too after a subpar 2023 season.

The 2024 season will be the final year of Bregman’s contract. The third baseman is set to make $28.5 million but only $20 million towards the luxury tax salary (the important number). After the 2024 season, Bregman will become a free agent and will more than likely receive a qualifying offer. Unlike the Chapman trade, the Astros would likely want MLB-ready prospects and/or main roster players, such as Alek Manoah or Santiago Espinal.

It’s to be seen if Bregman is even moved, but if the Jays can get the Astros to eat some salary, they may have just found their new third baseman. The Blue Jays have a connection to the Astros with George Springer, as he and Bregman won the World Series together in 2017.