Walking back Alex Bregman comments is nothing more than Astros' attempt to save face

Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown has quickly gained a reputation as being candid with the media. He gives regular updates on contract negotiations while providing thoughts about the Astros roster.

While Brown doesn't give up too much, he does a good job of creating a certain level of insight into his thought process and strategy. However, his recent comments on Alex Bregman were blunt even for him.

Once Brown said the team had already lost Alex Bregman and was talking about him in the past tense during a recent press event, Astros fans were understandably caught off guard. There had been optimism that the two sides could end up reuniting, and Brown's comments threw cold water on that possibility in the most brutal way possibility.

Astros fans should get used to the fact that Alex Bregman is as good as gone

It didn't take long for the Astros to attempt to walk back Brown's comments. After his statement leaked, the team went out their way to let people know that they are still having "internal discussions" about bringing Bregman back to Houston. However, fans shouldn't take that half-retraction as anything more as doing normal public relations management to mask the harsh truth.

As much as the Astros won't admit it publicly (at least on purpose), Brown strongly implying that Bregman won't be back is just a recognition of reality. Bregman wants a long-term deal at an AAV that matches or exceeds what he was making last season.

Houston isn't going to offer that, and perhaps they shouldn't. Even a shorter-term deal with a higher AAV creates some issues with the luxury tax that the Astros would like to avoid. Oh, and the team traded for Isaac Paredes ostensibly to replace Bregman back in December.

The reason why the Astros didn't want to close the door completely is because they want fans to believe that there is still a chance a reunion could happen. Houston wants to portray themselves as trying until the bitter end so that when it doesn't happen, they don't get the blame.

There is also the matter of the directive regarding team officials commenting on current free agents which is generally a no-no by MLB rules. Everyone does it to a certain extent, but walking Brown's comments back is a way to guard against any accusations from the rather ornery Scott Boras.

Houston can say whatever they want at this point, but it doesn't change the fact that Bregman is likely to sign elsewhere before the start of the season. The Chicago Cubs are a popular option at the moment with the Red Sox and Blue Jays remaining possibilities as well. Wherever Bregman ends up, start bracing yourselves for it to be in a different uniform.

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