The Yankees are desperate now; they want the next best player after losing Juan Soto. And the crew’s latest target? Alex Bregman—the third baseman, who was once Houston’s top priority, and they were ready to do anything to get him back. But Bergman wants a big payday, somewhere near $200 million, and the Astros just cannot afford it. Now is the time for other teams to attack, and the Yankees are at the forefront.
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman revealed that they are in fact in talks with Scott Boras for Alex Bregman. So, there is hope from the Yanks’ side, but what about Bregman himself—does he want to wear pinstripes? While there are no direct updates coming from him yet, Bregman’s wife, Reagan Elizabeth, may just have dropped a subtle hint. Reagan’s latest Instagram post had fans buzzing, and not just because of the heartwarming family photo she shared.
Her caption was sweet and simple: “virtual Christmas card.” But then something else caught everyone’s attention: the song she picked to accompany the picture was “New York Jazz Trio.” Now, at first glance, it seemed innocent enough—just a nice tune to go with a cozy family moment. Nonetheless, fans were soon in detective mode; the comments section exploded with half of them confused, while the other half were sure that the third baseman will be wearing pinstripes next year.
ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad
View this post on Instagram A post shared by reagan elizabeth bregman (@reaganelizabeth)
ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad
As more comments started to pour in, many wanted to see the 30-year-old in Houston; some users even started to beg the player to stay with the Astros. For fans, the Astros and Bregman have become one entity—they associate Bregman with Houston. While the Houston team did put an offer on the table, Bregman is currently seeking more. The offer was $156 million for six years, which was the largest deal the club has ever offered money-wise. Moreover, the Astros have backup plans in place.
The Houston Astros’ alternatives for Alex Bregman
The Astros are already planning for what happens if Alex Bregman signs elsewhere. One option they’re considering is Jorge Polanco, a switch-hitter who could play third base. Polanco had a rough 2024 with a career-low .651 OPS in 118 games for the Mariners, but he showed signs of improvement after knee surgery. From July 9 onward, he hit .724 OPS and blasted 11 of his 16 home runs in just 63 games.
ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad
If he continues that form, Jorge Polanco could be a solid, low-cost option at third base. If the Astros can’t bring Bregman back and don’t want to spend big on a third baseman, they’ll focus on upgrading first base. Houston had one of the worst OPS (.651) at first base last season. After José Abreu was released, Jon Singleton got most of the playing time, but his struggles against left-handed pitching (.457 OPS in 82 at-bats) made him more of a platoon player.
Another player the Astros can be looking at is Christian Walker, a free-agent first baseman who has won three Gold Gloves. Despite missing 32 games in 2024 with an oblique injury, Walker still hit 26 home runs and posted an OPS above .800 for the third straight year. The Astros don’t want to wait too long to make moves, but they’d prefer Bregman to make his decision first before making any final calls.