Astros Don’t See Alex Bregman Fleeing To Join Red Sox, Others In Free Agency

The Red Sox have an intriguing offseason ahead, the second of chief baseball officer Craig Breslow's since joining the organization's front office. Currently slipping out of reach from the American League wild-card race, Boston's needs for improvement have become more apparent, which will surely spark a winter filled with rumors.

Houston's Alex Bregman, an impending free agent, was linked to Boston and could offer a handful of upgrades, both offensively and defensively. Bregman has logged 1,104 games in an Astros uniform, hitting .272 with 188 home runs, 655 RBIs and a 39.1 WAR, all while playing a pivotal role for two World Series championship teams. The 30-year-old is due to field several phone calls this offseason from teams across the league, however, teammate Jose Altuve doesn't envision Bregman going anywhere.

"I don't see any chances of him leaving," Altuve said, per The Ahletic's Chandler Rome. "That might just be me. I really think that, at the end of the season, our front office people, GM and ownership (are) going to get a deal done for him. I don't think -- I'm sure -- that we are not only a better team with him, but we are a better organization with him. We really need to make it happen."

Boston's most recent seven-game road trip demonstrated the team's most glaring deficiency's and dragged the Red Sox to four games back in the wild-card race with nine contests left to play -- including Friday night's series opener with the Minnesota Twins. The Red Sox hit .179, averaged 2.7 runs per contest and were held to one hit by the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday night after going hitless for the final six innings and drawing no walks. The ongoing offensive slump came at the worst possible time and further amplified the need for an offensive boost that took the playoff hopefuls from contention with possession of the third and final wild-card spot to enter the MLB All-Star break in July, and sank the ship to technical contention for the final few weeks of 2024.

Granted, Altuve's longtime relationship with Bregman -- they spent nine years as teammates with Houston -- could play a role in the two-time All-Star's decision. But Bregman, too, has a relationship with current Red Sox manager Alex Cora. Considering Boston, so far, has committed an MLB-leading 109 errors this season, defense will likely be a priority again this offseason. Perhaps the rapport established between Bregman and Cora, who shared the dugout in Houston seven years ago, could prompt a reunion.

"We met in spring training (in 2017) and it just clicked from the start," Bregman told reporters in 2018, per Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe. "He had a big-time influence on me, a huge one. We love baseball. We both love the game and like to study it."