There's one thing standing between Astros-Alex Bregman reunion (and it's not money)

Houston Astros infielder Alex Bregman
Houston Astros infielder Alex Bregman | Logan Riely/GettyImages

Alex Bregman's free agency has not gone according to plan to put it mildly. Spring training is only about two weeks away, and the longtime Houston Astros third baseman is still unsigned. After being ballyhooed as one of the top free agents available this offseason, Bregman has been languishing on the open market.

Multiple suitors have come to the table, but no one has satisfied his contract demands. Bregman's dreams of inking a $200 million deal are all but dead, and things have gotten so bad that Houston's original six-year, $156 million offer — which he turned down — may be the best he's going to get.

Sure, other teams have come to forefront, including the Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, and Toronto Blue Jays, but the Astros still represent Bregman's best chance to win while still receiving fair compensation. Unfortunately, one thing is standing between Bregman and a reunion with the only team he's ever played for. And no, it's not money. It's pride.

There's one thing standing between Astros-Alex Bregman reunion (and it's not money)

Okay, to be fair, the money plays role. Bregman isn't going to just go sign a minor-league deal with an invite to spring training, but based on the current market, it's hard to argue that Houston's initial offer (which is reportedly still on the table) is unfair.

However, Bregman's pride (or ego, if you want to call it that) won't let him sign a contract that will pay him less than what he made in 2024. In the final two years of Bregman's five-year, $100 million contract extension he previously signed with the Astros, the two-time All-Star was paid $28.5 million. And that's the sticking point at the moment.

Bregman — and probably more so his agent Scott Boras — can't abide the thought of signing a deal that would pay him less than he made a year ago. The average annual value (AAV) of the six-year, $156 million offer comes out to $26 million. I can all but guarantee you that if Houston upped that contract to a six-year, $174 million deal, he'd sign it in a heartbeat. Why? Because the $29 million AAV would allow both Bregman and Boras to effectively "win" the negotiation, walking away with more money in 2025 than he made in 2024.

But while it's true that money plays a role in all of this, at it's core, the issue is pride. It's time for Bregman to put his pride on the shelf, show a little humility, and accept Houston's offer.

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