Potential Alex Bregman replacement could leave Astros even better off in 2025

So much of what Houston Astros fans are seeing regarding Alex Bregman is a lot of the same thing over and over again. The Astros definitely want to keep Bregman, Bregman wants a lot of money, and there are a number of other teams that also would like to add Bregman. T

hat cycle has repeated over and over again already this offseason. However, not enough attention has been given to what the Astros' world would look like if Bregman leaves.

Sure, there has been some discussion of Brice Matthews as an internal option, and a few names have been floated here and there as stopgap solutions to their third base dilemma, but that hasn't nearly been satisfactory enough discourse.

The one rumor that does seem to have some legs involves Houston trading for Nolan Arenado which could end up putting the Astros in an even better position than if Bregman stayed.

Astros trading for Nolan Arenado makes a lot more sense than you probably think

Yes, Arenado hasn't been the same player he once was over the last couple of years. However, he was also on a pair of really disappointing Cardinals teams and has been vocal about wanting to play for contenders in the past. It is entirely possible that as St. Louis' fortunes declined, his mindset went with them.

There are some other problems involed as well. Arenado is owed real money the next three seasons, which Houston would have to come to grips with, and he also has a no-trade clause, so he may require some convincing.

That said, there is a lot to like about the Astros acquiring Arenado (and Arenado should like the idea, too). One, he is owed a total of $52 million the next three seasons, with the annual salary hit declining each year. That is almost assuredly going to be cheaper than what Bregman would cost. With Bregman's production also declining since his prime years, going with Arenado instead would fill their need at third base and make extending Framber Valdez and/or Kyle Tucker much more feasible.

Moreover, Arenado is just a really good baseball player. His numbers in 2024 weren't great, but he is still a fantastic defender with Gold Glove upside and hit .272 last season. If you put that guy in Houston, where left field is friendly to righty pull hitters, there is a strong likelihood that Arenado's power numbers go back up. It doesn't hurt that the Cardinals appear to be motivated to move him as they go through a "reset", so the trade cost shouldn't be too bad, especially if Houston takes on all his money.

At the end of the day, the Astros will just have to decide what is best for their long-term future here. They can sign Bregman to an expensive seven-year deal and hope that he continues to stay healthy and produce enough to justify the payroll hit for years to come OR they can bring Arenado in for the next three years at a cheaper rate, probably get the same production or better than Bregman would give them, and allow them to tool their roster for the future.

The latter doesn't sound too bad when you think about it that way and remove the emotion of losing a guy as recognizable as Bregman from the equation.

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