Talk of Astros-Alex Bregman reunion dealt crushing blow after final bidders revealed

Since the offseason began, the odds of a Houston Astros-Alex Bregman reunion seemed unlikely. The Astros offered a six-year, $156 million pact early in the offseason which Bregman outright refused. Houston promptly turned their attention to life without their Gold Glove Award-winning third baseman.

The Astros quickly pivoted to Chicago Cubs infielder Isaac Paredes, who came to Houston as part of the Kyle Tucker trade. The Astros' front office also added first baseman Christian Walker in free agency, and for all intents and purposes, it appeared as though Houston's lineup was set heading into spring training.

But Bregman's free agent saga has been drawn out all offseason, and rumors emerged recently that a potential reunion with the Astros was still possible. However, over the past week, the likelihood of Bregman returning to Space City has lost a lot of steam, and the latest reporting from ESPN insider Buster Olney may have closed the books on the idea of the Astros reuniting with the two-time All-Star.

Astros Rumors: Alex Bregman reunion dealt crushing blow after Cubs, Red Sox & Tigers revealed as the final bidders

According to Olney, the three finalists for Bregman's services are the Cubs, Boston Red Sox, and Detroit Tigers. None of that trio is overly surprising, as those three teams have been linked to Bregman for past few weeks. While the Astros are absent from that list, so are the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Cubs have been searching for a big bat this offseason, and while Tucker is now in the fold, Chicago did lose one of their top sluggers in outfielder Cody Bellinger. The Red Sox have been the most logical choice for Bregman all offseason, but Boston's tight-fisted approach has many assuming that he'll sign elsewhere.

Reuniting with former AJ Hinch is one of the chief reasons the Tigers are getting a lot of attention, but just like Boston, many experts wonder if Detroit has the stomach to match Bregman's contract demands especially when it comes to the number of years he is apparently still looking for.

While this is not the end that Astros fans were hoping for, it gives the Houston faithful an opporunity to turn their attention to the players who are actually heading to the team's complex in Florida this week.

While adding Bregman would have undoubtedly bolstered Houston's lineup, keeping his gargantuan salary off the books for the next several years will afford GM Dana Brown the ability to extend some of the Astros' top young talent.

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