All-Star Slugger’s Message To Astros Opens Up Potential Red Sox Pursuit

The Tigers continued their hot streak and eliminated the Astros from the postseason, and it seemed like a longtime Houston standout said his farewell to the club.

Detroit completed its sweep of the Astros on Wednesday when it beat Houston, 5-2, at Minute Maid Park. The loss cut the American League West’s streak of consecutive AL Championship Series appearances at seven.

Jose Altuve urged the Astros postgame to re-sign Bregman to keep the core together. But the 30-year-old’s cryptic message didn’t inspire optimism in that plea.

“Thank you Houston,” Bregman posted on X on Wednesday.

The two-time All-Star will be a free agent after the season, and it’s unknown if Houston views Bregman as part of the team’s future.

The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal last month floated the Boston Red Sox as a potential candidate to sign Bregman, and the fit makes perfect sense.

Bregman excelled at Fenway Park with a 1.240 OPS in 21 games. He would bring a World Series pedigree to the clubhouse. The third baseman could allow Rafael Devers to slot into designated hitter if the Red Sox star needed to rest physically like he did this season. The ninth-year veteran also would give Boston its coveted right-handed bat that the lineup lacked throughout the season.

There are also local connections to Bregman. The Red Sox drafted the two-time World Series champion in the 2012 MLB Draft, but he decided to play for LSU. His favorite player growing up was Red Sox Hall of Famer Dustin Pedroia. Alex Cora knows Bregman from their time in Houston together. The Astros veteran also is close friends with Mark Wahlberg, so the Boston native could assist in bringing the slugger to the Red Sox.

Boston’s potential pursuit of Bregman would depend on the Astros’ plan for him as well as the direction chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and the front office want to go in. But signing Bregman would be a good step for the Red Sox to achieve their goal of playing postseason baseball.