How delayed Astros-Alex Bregman reunion would hilariously upgrade Houston's defense

The wheels are in motion, and Houston Astros fans are eagerly awaiting the potential return of Alex Bregman. This weekend's trade with the Chicago Cubs only makes the reality of a Bregman reunion more plausible after Houston was able to shed the majority of Ryan Pressly's 2025 salary.

But Bregman's potential return could come with some difficult to navigate consequences. While it's not clear where Bregman would line up defensively if he and the Astros were to reunite, it's a good bet that he'll remain on the infield. But with the additions of Christian Walker and Isaac Paredes, somebody will have to move off the infield dirt and head out to the outfield grass. That player could, and importantly should, be Jose Altuve.

If Alex Bregman re-signs with the Astros, moving Jose Altuve to the outfield would make Houston's defense better

If Bregman returns to Houston, the Astros would be best served moving him to second base. Though Bregman took home a Gold Glove at the hot corner in 2024, Paredes doesn't have near the range and is better at third base as opposed to up the middle.

However, moving Bregman to the keystone would force Houston to push Altuve off the only position he's ever played in the big leagues. Outside of six total innings at shortstop during the infancy of his major league career, Altuve has consistently lined up at second base. But Altuve is one of the worst defenders in Major League Baseball.

Since 2022, Altuve has been worth -41 defensive runs saved (DRS) and -8 outs above average (OAA). Compare that to Bregman who's been worth 7 DRS and 11 OAA over the past three seasons. Moving him to second base may even see Bregman's defense improve and, at minimum, he couldn't be much worse than Altuve has been

Shifting Altuve to left field is no guarantee that he'll be become an elite defender. In fact, at 34 years old, that's unlikely to happen. But with the relatively small confines at Daikan Park, Altuve should be able to hold his own. As The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal correctly points out (subscription required), only Fenway Park has smaller dimensions in left field. Let's be honest, if Yordan Álvarez can do it, Altuve will be just fine.

Astros GM Dana Brown can speak until he's blue in the face about the longstanding offer for Bregman's services, but the truth is that Houston never thought in a million years that he'd still be on the open market. There's still others teams (Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers) vying for Bregman this offseason, but the Astros have to be feeling good about their chances to bring him back to H-Town.

More Houston Astros News and Rumors