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Alex Bregman set to sign with the Houston Astros

By Eric Huysman |
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Jun 18, 2015; Omaha, NE, USA; LSU Tigers infielder Alex Bregman (8) applies the tag on TCU Horned Frogs outfielder Jeremie Fagnan (32) in the first inning in the 2015 College World Series at TD Ameritrade Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports

Astros fans let out a deep sigh when the Astros came to an agreement with first-round pick Kyle Tucker. He is now playing for the Greenville Astros, a rookie team and got his first hit in last night’s game. Today it was announced on Twitter that the second overall pick ss Alex Bregman from LSU is in Houston to sign with the Houston Astros today. Chandler Rome of MLB.com was at the airport when Bregman landed, and he told Rome that “he has agreed to a deal with the Astros.”

The Astros still have a few major picks to sign; then the rest should fall into place. The main picks that the Astros still need to sign are Daz Cameron, Thomas Eshelman, and Riley Ferrell. Now that two of the big boys are signed, Cameron and his over slot signing bonus should be next depending on how much money Bregman gets for signing.

While the Astros have not officially made any statement concerning the signing of Bregman because of what happened with the first round pick Brady Aiken last season. They want to be sure everything is in place because they do not want a PR nightmare like last year. The pick value for the second overall pick is $7,420,100, which is the amount that the Astros have been allocated to sign that player.

There is no official mention of what Bregman signed for yet from the Astros. However, according to Ross Dellenger of the Baton Rouge Advocate in his article Former LSU SS Alex Bregman to sign with Astros for $6 million, the Astros will sign Bregman for $6 million.

If this is the case, the Astros can use the $1,420,100 saved in the Bregman signing and the $188,700 saved in the Kyle Tucker signing to sign Daz Cameron. Cameron slipped to the 37th overall pick because people felt like he was asking for a high signing bonus. The Astros had the extra maneuvering room with the extra first round pick, so they chose Cameron.

With Bregman now in the fold, the Astros will decide where to send him. My guess would be that Bregman will report to Tri-City or maybe Quad Cities. He is an advanced college player, so I do not see him starting in Rookie ball, but I could be wrong.

Earlier in the week, I asked the LSU’s Fansided sites editor @joshccriswell for some insight on Alex Bregman. You can read what he said in Inside look as to what Alex Bregman offers the Astros. I also asked Chandler Rome, an associate reporter for MLB.com, for his insight as an Astros writer and LSU Alumni his thoughts on Bregman.

Next: Chandler Rome Interview on Alex Bregman

Chandler Rome Interview on Alex Bregman

Jun 18, 2015; Omaha, NE, USA; LSU Tigers infielder Alex Bregman (8) throwd across his body to make an out against the TCU Horned Frogs in the fourth inning in the 2015 College World Series at TD Ameritrade Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports

CTH: What is your overall impression of Alex Bregman?

Rome: Alex is a baseball nut. A guy who has a plus-instinct and a baseball IQ through the roof. His 38 steals at LSU this year are misleading — he is not the fastest guy on the team — but he was by far the smartest and savviest on the diamond. His defense was always there, it just took time to develop, and when it did it was spectacular. His junior season was by far his best defensively and showed many skeptics that he can, in fact, play shortstop at the major league level.

His range is immeasurable, and he has a plus arm at short. He does seem to rush defensive plays to a point — though it hardly ever matters. As the premier guy in LSU’s lineup, he was often either pitched around or thrown a steady diet of offspeed pitches, which he struggled with at times. He suffered a horrible slump his sophomore season that left both him and the LSU lineup upset, but he is still a guy that can get on base regularly. Once he is there, he lets his IQ and instinct take over.

CTH: What is his best asset as a baseball player?

Rome: Though I talked about it so much above, it is not his baseball IQ and instinct. It is his work ethic. This guy was notorious for waking his roommates up in early hours of the morning to go take ground balls or hit in the cage. He was often seen after midweek games coming out under the lights to take ground balls at shortstop.

LSU coach Paul Mainieri often joked to me that he gave Alex the keys to the stadium. He was not kidding. The lights were often on late at night or early in the morning, and it was always Bregman getting work in. He is got a work ethic, unlike any athlete I have ever seen or covered.

CTH: As someone who watched him regularly, what’s his timeline to be ready?

Rome: I do not think he’ll toil long, but I also don’t think he’ll skyrocket up to the bigs. I think he’ll need to adjust to big league pitching and figure out where he fits in the Houston farm system as far as defense goes. Mike Elias and Paul Mainieri both called Bregman one of the more polished college players they’d ever seen — and I would agree with both of them — but he’s got a few little things to work out before I think he’s truly Major League ready.

CTH: Does he have the arm to handle third base?

Rome: Yes. The arm is there. He was a catcher in high school, so he is used to gunning out to second and third. I think if he moves to third, the thing he’d need to adjust to would be reaction time — grounders to third are a ton faster and sharper than grounders to short. Though, with his IQ, I am not sure he would need much time to get that done.

CTH: Does he profile as a gap hitter or medium power guy?

Rome:  A medium power guy. He never tore up home runs or extra base hits in college. He did, though, use his instincts to stretch routine singles to doubles and put pressure on outfielders or other defensive players who fielded his hits. Don’t get me wrong, he’s got power, but he profiles more as a medium power guy that can wreak havoc on the basepaths.

CTH: What MLB player would be a good comparison of him?

Rome: The obvious choice, and someone that Paul Mainieri regularly compares him to, is Dustin Pedroia. A below-average height guy with a high baseball IQ that can just rely on work ethic, toughness and grittiness to have a successful career.

Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions Chandler, you can read his stuff at MLB.com or follow him on Twitter at @Chandler_Rome. Welcome to the Houston Astros organization Alex Bregman, look forward to seeing you in action in the future.

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