Suffice to say that Alex Bregman isn't a particularly popular man among Houston Astros fans right now. Sure, he helped the franchise capture its first two World Series titles over nine years in an Astros uniform, earning two All-Star nods and authoring countless memorable moments along the way. But it's awfully hard to simply forgive and forget the way he left town, rejecting a six-year, $156 million contract offer and letting agent Scott Boras use the team as leverage only to take less money to sign with the Boston Red Sox on the eve of spring training.
Astros brass made clear from the jump that re-signing Bregman was a priority, and paid him as handsomely as any other team on the market this winter. It was ultimately Bregman who decided he wanted to play elsewhere, a reality that many in Houston are still coming to grips with. That reality became even more painful on Thursday, when Bregman fawned over his new team while using the memory of his old one.
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Alex Bregman pours salt in Astros fans' wounds while fawning over Red Sox prospects
Bregman appeared on the "Section 10" podcast this week, answering questions on everything from how he wound up signing in Boston to all the Rafael Devers drama that's unfolded over the past few days. The most interesting moment — or painful, depending on your perspective — came when he was asked about the Red Sox' enviable farm system, particularly the three big names at the top: infielders Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer and outfielder Roman Anthony.
Those three have come under a fair bit of scrutiny in recent days, particularly Campbell, who sure looks ready to win a spot on the Opening Day roster but who might require Rafael Devers to bump over to DH in order to do so. That suggestion has been met with hostility in some corners, notably from Devers and first baseman Triston Casas. Bregman, however, thinks it's great, and more than a little familiar.
“(Kristian Campbell is) really good. Marcelo (Mayer) is really good. Roman Anthony is really good,” Bregman said.
“Super mature beyond their years. Obviously, ridiculous talent — like, All-Star talent… Marcelo and Campbell and Roman are coming. (Triston) Casas is very young, he’s gonna be a stud — he already is a stud… It really reminds me a lot of when we were younger in Houston. I’m really looking forward to this opportunity.”
The "we" there refers to the youth Astros' youth movement of the 2010s, which included Bregman, draftmate Kyle Tucker, George Springer and Carlos Correa, all of whom joined Jose Altuve as part of a resurgence that ultimately resulted in not one but two Commissioner's Trophies. You can't fault Bregman for seeing something of the same in Boston, especially given the mix of young and veteran talent that the Red Sox have been able to assemble.
It still has to hurt, though, knowing that Bregman jilted Houston in order to chase what he used to have with the Astros. It's not as though the cupboard is completely bare in Houston, either, even with Tucker being dealt to the Chicago Cubs and Justin Verlander signing on with the San Francisco Giants. But apparently it's not enough for Bregman, and Astros fans are left hoping that history won't be repeating itself.