Astros Rumors: Alex Bregman's free agency could be impacted by enraging topic

Alex Bregman's impending free agency has been a hot topic among Houston Astros fans for some time now. Bregman's initial asking price seemed to be well beyond what Houston was comfortable with, and now that he both has played very well recently and is dealing with that arm issue of his, the odds of him staying in Houston have probably never been lower.

As to where Bregman could end up, there has been no shortage of speculation out there. One rumor that got floated recently involved Bregman landing with the Yankees, which would obviously be nightmare fuel and would also doom Bregman from the start, based on much of the Yankees' luck with high-priced free agency. Most agree that Bregman will have no shortage of suitors given his track record with Houston.

However, at least one source thinks that Bregman's free agency could encounter a frustrating reputational hurdle, as Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly seems to think that the Dodgers and Yankees will avoid Bregman during the offseason due to his connection with the Astros' sign-stealing scandal.

MLB expert continues to harp on Astros' sign-stealing scandal when discussing Alex Bregman's free agency

Before anyone asks, it appears as though Kelly is a Philly guy which, while still a truly horrid fandom to claim, does at least remove the potential LA/NY bias from the equation. There are certainly some hard feelings in Dodgers and Yankees land from the scandal, and it isn't THAT crazy to think that those front offices could be somewhat wary of fan backlash with a high-profile name like Bregman.

However, if you think the Yankees completely forgoing one of the best free agents out there at an area of need because of those old wounds is going to happen, you are sorely mistaken. It is far more likely that their pursuit of Juan Soto and the mega contract that will require will be a bigger issue to overcome in any Bregman chase. As for the Dodgers, the same logic applies. They may not love what happened, but they love signing good players and winning baseball games a lot more, and LA will at least want to drive his asking price up for others.

Again, one need only look to how other former Astros have made out in free agency. Carlos Correa still got paid, and would have gotten even more if his wonky medicals hadn't become an issue. Above almost all else, teams prioritize production, unless there are far worse character/legal issues in play. Just because there are some New York and LA fans still in their feelings doesn't mean that their teams are going to follow suit.

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