Astros apparently have no interest in playing Scott Boras’ feckless games

Sending veteran reliever Ryan Pressly to the Chicago Cubs seemingly left no excuse for the Houston Astros to bring back Alex Bregman. But then again, his agent is Scott Boras, which complicates matters.

Boras negotiates like he's the smartest person in the room. It routinely costs members of his extensive clientele a boatload of cash, with Bregman being the latest victim.

Bregman is losing money, leverage and possibly an opportunity to stay with the only franchise he's ever known, all thanks to Boras. Recent intel from The Athletic's Chandler Rome and Ken Rosenthal ($) indicates patience is wearing thin in Houston regarding a reunion with the two-time All-Star.

Per Rome and Rosenthal, "no such resolution is near," so the Astros have been doing their due diligence by exploring non-Bregman free-agency options. Given the circumstances, Houston reportedly "continue[s] to show strong interest" in switch-hitting veteran infielder Jorge Polanco, signaling they won't capitulate to Boras' tactics.

For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray's work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop during the MLB offseason.

Astros' Jorge Polanco pursuit indicates they aren't succumbing to Scott Boras’ feckless games

While the Astros are considered the favorites for Bregman's services, they're ostensibly putting a timer on him and Boras to ink a deal. Rome and Rosenthal note that Houston views Polanco as a "contingency plan" if talks stall or bleed into spring training.

The Astros are one of five teams in the Bregman sweepstakes, so they're getting ahead of the curve and being proactive rather than reactive. Even after trading Pressly, their pursuit of Polanco is a message to Boras: He doesn't hold the cards in this situation.

Rome and Chandler stated that Houston's six-year, $156 million extension offer to Bregman "remains on the table." However, Boras' relentless quest to squeeze every penny out of his client's teams has prompted the club to explore adding Polanco.

Astros owner Jim Crane's reluctance to pay the Competitive Balance Tax for a second straight campaign makes it "difficult to envision" landing Polanco and Bregman. That puts immense pressure on Boras and the ball in his court, though Houston isn't flinching.