"As much as Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman has been there" - Ex-Twins star wonders how Astros’ treatment of free agent veterans affects star 3B's future
Alex Bregman and Jose Altuve have been pillars of the Houston Astros for some time. Although the Astros extended Altuve till 2029 with a five-year $125,000,000 deal earlier this year, they have not done the same with Bregman. Behind Juan Soto, Bregman is now one of the hottest free agents in the market.
Former Twins slugger and current MLB analyst Trevor Plouffe believes Bregman is the next-best free agent in 2024 behind Soto. On Tuesday's "Baseball Today" podcast episode with sportscaster and insider Chris Rose, Plouffe shared his thoughts on why Bregman is next best after Soto.
"I think it's Alex Bregman. It's always been Alex Bregman for me. You know, this is a guy who's spent his entire career in one organization, already had one extension there, has won a bunch, and seems like he's really part of the fabric," Plouffe said [26:37].
However, the 2009 Baseball World Cup winner doesn't think the Astros will be looking to keep Bregman as they did for Altuve.
"They [Astros] extended Jose Altuve, but most guys, you know, they've decided to let depart. I just feel like, I don't know, man, Bregman's just been there, " Plouffe said [Timestamp 27:05]. As much as Jose Altuve feels like the statue guy there, and you know, such a massive part of their organizational turnaround, I feel like Bregman's been there every step of the way as well," Plouffe added.
Due to Bregman's connection with Houston, Plouffe wants to see where the 2024 Gold Glove-winning third baseman will land in free agency.
Plouffe highlights one factor that could affect Alex Bregman's free agency
The Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal was one of the biggest MLB controversies in recent years. The Astros illegally recorded opposing catcher's signals to the pitchers from 2017-2018 but were caught by the league in 2019.
Alex Bregman and Justin Verlander were among the ones who publicly took responsibility for it. Jose Altuve was found not to have partaken in any activities. As such, Bregman's relationships with players and other organizations have not been too good.
Plouffe thinks this might be a factor when teams consider signing Bregman.
"I feel like he's kind of rubbed a lot of organizations the wrong way and a lot of players the wrong way, so it's like you're bringing him into the clubhouse," said Plouffe [27:35 timestamp].
Plouffe shared he doesn't think it's a problem but is not confident how others would feel like having Bregman in the clubhouse.