More changes are coming to the Houston Astros this offseason. Last week they traded right fielder Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs in a blockbuster move, and today, they signed star first baseman Christian Walker.
Now, it appears third baseman Alex Bregman will be moving on as well, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.
The Houston Astros have traded their best player, Kyle Tucker, and are letting go of Alex Bregman, who has the most WAR for them since his first full season in 2017. In the meantime, they will pay first basemen Christian Walker and José Abreu a combined $39.5 million in 2025.…
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 20, 2024
Bregman, 30, has been one of the core pillars behind the Astros' seven-year domination in the American League. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 MLB Draft has proven to be the best player of that class, putting up 39.6 bWAR/39.7 fWAR in nine seasons with Houston. He played a pivotal role in their championship runs in 2017 and 2022 and finished in the top-five in MVP voting in 2018 and 2019.
Houston Astros' championship core is dwindling
The loss of Bregman in free agency possibly signals the end of an era in Houston, leaving just Jose Altuve as the only Astro remaining from their 2017 championship squad. As a team that went over the Competitive Balance Tax threshold, Houston will receive just a fourth round pick in the 2025 MLB Draft as Bregman declined the $21.05 million qualifying offer.
The Astros moved quickly with their contingency plans this week, first failing to acquire Nolan Arenado from the St. Louis Cardinals, but Arenado invoked his no-trade clause to kill the deal. They then pivoted towards former Diamondbacks first baseman Christian Walker, landing him on a three-year, $60 million deal. Houston will lose their second and fifth-highest picks in the draft for signing Walker, who also declined his qualifying offer from Arizona.
The Astros corner infield will be completely different in 2025. Walker, a three-time Gold Glove winner, is expected to man first base for Houston while Isaac Paredes, who they got in the Tucker deal, will be at third. Top prospect Cam Smith is more of a long-term option at the hot corner, but he could be knocking on the door of the majors by the second half of the season if his momentum from 2024 continues.
Sitting at just below 40.0 WAR entering his age-31 season, Bregman is on a Hall of Fame track if he can stay healthy through the rest of the decade. Should he stay on that track and get inducted, odds are he'll be going to Cooperstown in an Astros cap.