Alex Bregman rumors: Red Sox preference, Astros getting desperate, Dodgers looming?

The wheels of MLB free agency keep turning, and Alex Bregman is still here, available to the highest bidder. The two-time World Series champ and longtime Houston Astros staple is the last big fish in an increasingly small pool. He has watched patiently (or perhaps impatiently) as names come off the board. Willy Adames, Juan Soto, Christian Walker, Pete Alonso... all without much tangible movement on the Bregman front.

It feels like we are getting close with spring training around the corner, but again, not much concrete reporting is out there. It is often packaged in the form of hypotheticals, with Bregman vaguely mentioned as a "potential target" for various aspiring contenders. It's clear his contract demands are out of sync with his value in league circles.

We have gone through several cycles as far as where Bregman might end up. I'm old enough to remember when he was supposed to replace Alec Bohm in Philadelphia. Right now, the frontrunners appear to be threefold — Boston, Chicago, and Detroit, with the Astros hanging on the periphery.

Let's dive into the latest scuttlebutt around the 30-year-old hot corner maestro.

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Dodgers signing Alex Bregman is not an impossibility

Look, we all want Alex Bregman to go somewhere else, unless you're a Los Angeles Dodgers fan with a warped sense of entitlement. That said, the longer this draws out, the more likely a completely wild and unexpected outcome is. If Bregman gets frustrated with teams' inability to get over the hump with an offer, maybe he just signs for a discount with a team that guarantees him a couple bites at the World Series apple.

ESPN's David Schoenfield does not view LA as a likely landing spot for Bregman, but he does see some logic to the concept, should the Dodgers come knocking.

"The Dodgers also have more than $49 million coming off the books after 2025 in [Max] Muncy, Chris Taylor, Miguel Rojas and Michael Conforto," he writes. "Bregman gives them a much better contact hitter for the middle of the lineup compared with Muncy and Teoscar Hernandez-- and contact hitting is a huge key in the postseason. Yes, for one season it would be a bit of a logjam with Bregman, Muncy and [Hyeseong] Kim, but there are plenty of at-bats to go around."

Well, dammit, that sounds pretty logical. The Dodgers would benefit from Bregman's consistency behind the Shohei Ohtani-Mookie Betts-Freddie Freeman triumvirate. He's coming off a mediocre campaign by his high standards, posting a .768 OPS with 26 home runs, but Bregman is a proven postseason performer with an exceptionally high floor of production. The Dodgers getting ahead of the curve and implementing another bonafide All-Star is never out of the question.

Astros up their offer to Alex Bregman, but it's too little too late

The Astros put a six-year, $156 million contract on the table for Bregman a while back. On the surface, that seems perfectly fair in a slow-moving marketplace. Bregman wants a long-term deal and he's been with Houston his whole career. He knows that roster is capable of competing at the highest level.

Bregman has been resistant to Houston's overtures, however, to the point where GM Dana Brown recently said the Astros "lost" Bregman. Lost is a very definitive word in these parts, but the Astros don't appear willing to give up on a reunion with the two-time All-Star and Gold Glove third baseman.

The Astros have upped their offer to Bregman, per KPRC 2's Ari Alexander.

Unfortunately for the Houston faithful, a Bregman return remains "unlikely." One has to think Bregman just has better numbers coming in from other teams. It's the only way to logically explain this coldness toward Houston, unless there's something behind the scenes we don't know about.

Bregman has experienced tremendous personal success with the Astros, and they appear to be willing to go above and beyond to re-sign him. Jose Altuve to left field is a major shift in identity! In the end, though, expect the veteran to end up in a new clubhouse.

Red Sox prefer Alex Bregman to Nolan Arenado, but are up against stiff competition

The Boston Red Sox are in poll position for Alex Bregman... maybe? We think? Maybe the Chicago Cubs are?

It's all very confusing, but Boston has been pegged as a logical Bregman destination since the beginning of the offseason. Alex Cora has waxed poetic about Bregman's fit at second base across from Rafael Devers. The Red Sox were in the mix for names like Juan Soto and Max Fried; there is a clear emphasis in that front office to add star-power and begin competing in a cutthroat AL East.

Boston is certainly still in the running for Bregman, but Craig Breslow has begun to explore other options. The Red Sox and Cardinals recently discussed a trade centered on Nolan Arenado, per MLB.com's John Denton. Arenado comes with his share of concerns, but elite defense and the faint impression of once-great offense might be enough to pique the interest of a desperate Red Sox team. His willingness to play first base also helps with Raffy Devers haplessly tied to the hot corner for the time being.

That said, Denton does believe the Red Sox would rather sign Bregman. There's just one problem: Boston is locked in a bidding war with "at least two other teams," which we have to believe are Chicago and Detroit. The Red Sox have talked a big game this winter, but there's probably a reason none of the marquee free agents have actually signed a contract with Boston. Breslow has limited financial resources at his disposal.

Should Boston strike out on Bregman, keep your eyes peeled on Arenado. And good luck with that.