1 Concerning stat suggests Astros should move on from Alex Bregman

Alex Bregman is still available in MLB free agency. Many Houston Astros fans would like for the ball club to re-sign the third baseman, but would that be the best move? One specific statistic suggests why Houston should consider letting Bregman sign elsewhere this offseason, per Baseball Reference.

There are a number of statistics that suggest Bregman has been declining over the years. However, he recorded his worst walk percentage in 2024 since 2016. Bregman drew base-on-balls only 6.9 percent of the time, which is the exact mark he recorded during his rookie campaign in 2016. In 2017, Bregman drew walks 8.8 percent of the time, and he did not record a mark below 11 percent from 2018-2023.

So why is walk rate so important? After all, Bregman finished 2024 with his highest home run total (26) since 2019 (41), per ESPN. Well, walks often determine how well a player is seeing the ball. Sure, there are some players who happen to be extremely aggressive and simply don't see many pitches. Bregman, though, turned in respectable OBP numbers during the best years of his career. He is at his best when he is getting on base and also hitting for power.

So would re-signing Bregman be a disaster? No, not by any means. Bregman is still a capable offensive producer and he won his first Gold Glove Award during the 2024 season. He's still a respectable MLB player. However, he may want close to $200 million, and the Astros could spend that kind of money on three or four different players as opposed to a former All-Star who has displayed signs of decline in recent seasons.

One element to consider is that Alex Bregman and Jose Altuve have led the Astros throughout the team's strong run from 2017-2024. Houston has won two World Series championships during that span, and Bregman and Altuve have led the way. It remains to be seen how Altuve feels about the situation, but he may want the Astros to re-sign the third baseman.

With that being said, moving on is still probably the best move for Houston. There are no guarantees that they will compete in 2025, so they could be on the verge of entering a rebuild. Houston should look to add young players with high-ceilings in hopes of competing for a championship within the next few years.

Even if Bregman signs elsewhere, he will be remembered as one of the best Astros of all-time.