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The Alex Bregman saga is over. The now-former Houston Astros third baseman finally made his long awaited free agent decision and after agreeing to a three-year, $120 million deal with the Boston Red Sox.
In the end, Bregman had several suitors and multiple six-year offers on the table. But the Gold Glove Award-winner spurned those long-term deal for a three-year pact with the highest AAV and that included multiple opt outs.
While it was always a long shot that Bregman would return to Houston, it still stings. That said, the Astros can now turn their attention to the 2025 season. With Bregman off to Beantown, what will the 2025 Astros Opening Day lineup look like?
Projecting 2025 Astros Opening Day lineup following Alex Bregman's deal with Red Sox
While there's been a lot of talk about moving Jose Altuve to left field, that chatter will surely quiet down with Bregman's return to Houston now thwarted. Look for Altuve to start at second base and bat lead off when the New York Mets come to town next month, although he certainly could see time in the outfield corner over the course of the season.
Isaac Paredes was always supposed to be the replacement for Bregman at third base. This is all but a lock now, and there's reason to believe that Paredes could club 30-plus homers at Daikin Park in 2025. Yordan Alvarez will settle in nicely to the No. 3 spot in the batting order and see much less time in the outfield next season.
Player | Position |
|---|---|
Jose Altuve | 2B |
Isaac Paredes | 3B |
Yordan Alvarez | DH |
Christian Walker | 1B |
Yainer Diaz | C |
Jeremy Peña | SS |
Chas McCormick | RF |
Ben Gamel | LF |
Jake Meyers | CF |
The Astros' biggest free agent splash, Christian Walker, will surely be batting cleanup on Opening Day with Yainer Diaz following in the No. 5 spot. With Bregman now gone, Houston will be looking for more offensive production from Jeremy Peña who should slot in behind Diaz.
The bottom-third of the Astros lineup leaves a lot to the imagination. Houston is hoping for a bounce-back season from Chas McCormick. After posting a 130 OPS+ in 2023, the outfielder fell off a cliff and hit just .211/.271/.306 with a 66 OPS+. McCormick will have big shoes to fill in right field after the Astros traded Kyle Tucker earlier this offseason.
Houston's most recent signing, Ben Gamel, is likely to make the Astros Opening Day roster. Fans could also see a player like Taylor Trammell or top prospect Jacob Melton make a play for a spot in the starting lineup. Jake Meyers will be bringing up the rear, and that's little comfort for the Houston faithful after watching the centerfielder hit just .219 with a .646 OPS in 2024.
Losing Bregman hurts, but Houston can now fully focus on the upcoming season with the crew they have in West Palm Beach. Even without the two-time All-Star, the Astros are one of the top teams in the AL West and a bona fide playoff contender.