The Houston Astros’ streak of seven consecutive American League appearances ended in 2024 after losing to the Detroit Tigers in the wild-card series.
Now that the season is over, the Astros must make a decision on one of their longtime players who has become a free agent.
Third baseman Alex Bregman has played his entire career with the Astros since 2016, but now they may be hesitant to re-sign him.
With that in mind, former New York Mets general manager Steve Phillips named two big questions for the Astros this offseason.
“I’m not convinced they can sustain the salary they have with Bregman and Kyle Tucker long-term,” Phillips said, via MLB Network.
Will the Astros be able to sign Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker long term?@StevePhillipsGM not sure. pic.twitter.com/noKOH8NVD1
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) November 25, 2024
Tucker is another popular Astros player who will become a free agent after the 2025 season.
Phillips said he doesn’t see the Astros signing both Bregman and Tucker to long-term deals, so the team can decide which player it prefers to have.
Bregman played in 145 games in 2024 and hit .260 with 26 home runs, 75 RBI and a .768 OPS.
Tucker played in just 78 games but batted .289 with 23 home runs, 49 RBIs and a .993 OPS.
Phillips laid out a possible strategy of signing Bregman to a long-term deal, letting Tucker go and adding another left-handed power hitter like Cody Bellinger from the Chicago Cubs.
It will be interesting to see how the Astros handle the Bregman situation this offseason, as it could provide some insight into their plans for Tucker next season.
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