The Houston Astros overcame a dreadful 7-19 start to the season and are now at the top of the American League West with less than a month remaining in the regular season.
Houston currently has a 4 1/2 game lead in the division over the Seattle Mariners.
However, they may have some questions to answer this offseason, as a former World Series hero is set to enter free agency.
Alex Bregman is one of the few constants of both the 2017 and 2022 World Series titles. He's put together a strong season, but Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report believes the slugger will ultimately leave in free agency.
"The two sides never hammered out a long-term deal before the start of the season, and now the 30-year-old is poised to test the open market with a 115 OPS+ and 3.1 WAR in 125 games," Reuter wrote. "With Framber Valdez and Kyle Tucker both headed for free agency after the 2025 season, the Astros will need to decide who to prioritize, and letting Bregman walk could end up being the most logical option.
The Astros will have some tough decisions to make this offseason, especially with Tucker and Valdez set to enter free agency after next season.
Keep in mind too that the Astros are rarely a team to dish out big contracts, with Josh Hader being a notable exception. And with him signed long-term, they are somewhat limited in what they can do in terms of signing deals.
This means that Bregman, a fan favorite in Houston could be in another uniform next season. That may be a difficult site for Astros fans, who have watched Bregman blossom into a star.
With Matt Chapman already off the board, Houston may be forced to look internally for a replacement at third base.
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