Astros insider destroys idea of a forced choice between Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker

The prevailing thought among a number of Houston Astros fans is that the team cannot afford to keep both Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker in H-Town. That's hogwash; at least, according to one Astros insider.

Brian McTaggart of MLB.com recently entertained fans' questions, and one pertained to the idea of Houston's ability to re-sign both Bregman and Tucker. Bregman will become a free agent shortly after the World Series ends, and Tucker has one more year of team control before reaching the open market next winter.

Astros insider destroys idea of a forced choice between Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker

McTaggart believes that Houston will make a competitive bid for Bregman's services, but also noted that the Astros are unlikely to dismiss their long-held practice of keeping their contract offers to six years or less. Yordan Álvarez's six-year, $115 million deal is the longest deal handed out since Jim Crane has been in charge.

But the Astros' beat writer also provided some context for those who assume that Houston cannot afford both Bregman and Tucker. The Astros have three costly contracts coming off the books following the 2025 season. Jose Abreu, Kendall Graveman, and Rafael Montero will account for nearly $45 million of the Astros payroll next season.

So if the Astros are indeed able to re-sign Bregman this offseason, Houston could then use the savings from those three soon-to-be expiring deals next winter in order to keep Tucker in Space City beyond the 2025 season.

According to Cot's Baseball Contracts, the Astros have just $117 million in committed salary in 2026, with Lance McCullers Jr.'s outrageous $17.7 million AAV falling off in 2027. In short, the Astros have the means to keep both Bregman and Tucker in Houston for the long haul.

It does, of course, take two to tango and Bregman's representation will have to be amenable to the contract offer that Houston puts forth this winter. Matt Chapman's six-year, $151 million contract with the San Francisco Giants is no doubt the starting point, and Astros fans are hopeful that Houston and Bregman can find some common ground this offseason.

More Houston Astros News and Rumors