Astros News: Justin Verlander talks, Alex Bregman offer, Jake Meyers

So far, the Houston Astros have been pretty quiet this offseason in terms of actual moves. Sure, there have been a lot of rumors about what is going on with Alex Bregman and what moves the Astros COULD make, but they have been light on actual action. Houston didn't even non-tender any players before the deadline last Friday in a bit of a surprise.

However, there are several signs that the Astros' lack of activity could be changing soon, as the rumor mill is getting significantly louder ahead of the upcoming Winter Meetings.

Astros News: Dana Brown reveals Astros still in conversations with Justin Verlander's camp

Most agreed heading into the offseason that the Astros bringing back Verlander was unlikely. While the organization has immense respect for the future Hall of Famer, it is difficult to ignore Verlander's 2024, where he dealt with a lingering neck injury and only managed to put up a 5.48 ERA in the 17 starts that he did make. At almost 42 years old, it was fair to wonder how much longer Verlander would be able to pitch at all, and if any team would be willing to pay him what he would require to run it back.

However, it appears that Houston is still monitoring Verlander's market, as Dana Brown recently revealed that the Astros have continued to have conversations with his agent this offseason. Brown's comments seem to suggest that the Astros are only interested in bringing Verlander back if he would be willing to take a significant pay cut. Whether or not that happens will be a storyline to keep an eye on.

Astros News: Jake Meyers seems to be on borrowed time with Houston

While the Astros didn't cut any players before the non-tender deadline last week, that does not mean that they didn't have any candidates to get non-tendered. Keeping Luis Garcia made sense, given that he has real upside and could contribute in 2025 in the wake of some losses from Houston's rotation, and Chas McCormick recently got a vote of confidence from the front office. However, the decision to keep outfielder Jake Meyers was a bit curious.

With Dana Brown stating a preference for McCormick, many still think Meyers' time with the Astros could be coming to an end soon. Non-tendering Meyers would have been the cleanest solution, but Houston declining to do so could be a bit of a clue. With the Astros having a need for an upgrade at first base, the bullpen, and potentially third base, the team may believe that Meyers could garner enough trade interest to be a piece in a swap to address one of those needs this offseason.

Astros News: Houston's offer to Bregman remains on the table, but radio silence on whether it will be enough

It was widely reported that the Astros have made an offer to Alex Bregman's camp. This is hardly surprising, as the front office declared early on that they would do so and considered Bregman to be their top priority. However, what is interesting is the lack of follow-up as to how that offer was received.

It isn't unusual for a Boras client like Bregman to take their time and fully explore the free agent market. However, with the word that his camp could be seeking a deal in line with Manny Machado's contract, one wonders if the reason so little has been shared about the state of negotiations is that the Astros' offer and Bregman's expectations are not particularly close at the moment.

According to MLB insider Bob Nightengale in Monday's column, the Astros "would love to have Alex Bregman back on a six-year deal worth about $156 million," but Bregman continues to seek $200 million. That's a closer-than-Machado-sized gap, but still remains sizeable. Perhaps that's the reason for the silence.

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