One of the few blunders the Houston Astros have made over their dominant, decade-long stretch was letting Alex Bregman sign with the Boston Red Sox.
Bregman was a franchise cornerstone from 2016-24, with 162-game averages of 28 home runs, 97 RBIs, 88 walks to 94 strikeouts, a .272 batting average, an .848 OPS, and a 132 OPS+.
He was a two-time All-Star, a Silver Slugger and Gold Glove winner, and had multiple top-five American League MVP finishes. However, he signed a three-year, $120 million deal with the Red Sox, leaving Houston with a difficult defensive reconfiguration highlighted by Jose Altuve’s awkward move to left field.
Bregman does have an opt-out after this season, and should he exercise that, the Astros should monitor his status, according to Dylan Sanders of Sports Illustrated. There are no guarantees Bregman exercises that clause, but Boston does sit at 32-36 and an underwhelming fourth-place standing in the American League East.
It would not be out of the world of possibilities that the 31-year-old loses faith in his new organization and looks for a reunion with his old club.
Even at north of 30, Bregman is still a fantastic player. He does have a quad strain, which will sideline him for the foreseeable future, but that does not take away from his on-field production.
He is currently batting .299 with a .938 OPS, a 159 OPS+, 11 home runs, 35 RBIs, and 22 walks to 42 strikeouts. Bregman is also still a highly reliable defender and has a +1 Run Value over 51 games.
Bregman heading back to Houston would be pricey, but it would solidify their infield once again as one of the top units in the Majors.
