Astros fans won't like Alex Bregman being linked to two nightmare destinations

The Houston Astros' season ended with a first-round postseason loss. That is not a normal outcome for this team. With Dusty Baker lost to retirement and several stars on the wrong side of their prime, the Astros dynasty has never felt more vulnerable. Now a pivotal offseason approaches, during which Dana Brown and the front office will have several difficult choices to make.

Perhaps no single choice will be more difficult — and more consequential — than whether or not Houston brings back two-time champ Alex Bregman, who has spent his entire nine-year career to date in an Astros uniform.

A two-time All-Star at the hot corner, Bregman is nothing short of royalty in H-Town. But, with several hefty contracts on the books, a few big-ticket free agents on their radar and Kyle Tucker's own free agency coming down the pipeline, it wouldn't be too shocking if the Astros bite the bullet and let Bregman walk. He is expected to rake in something in the ballpark of Matt Chapman's $151 million contract with the San Francisco Giants.

If the Astros don't aggressively fight to keep Bregman, however, the opens up a few nightmare possibilities for fans. It's one thing for Bregman to leave, but it would be another matter entirely if he ends up with one of the teams recently connected to him.

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Yankees, Mariners among teams linked to Astros free agent Alex Bregman

Over at The Athletic, former GM Jim Bowden waxed poetic about the value Bregman brings to a winning team. He also listed several potential free agency fits, including the New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners.

Also listed are the Washington Nationals and the Detroit Tigers, the latter of which might sting in light of recent events. But make no mistake, the absolute worst-case outcomes are New York and Seattle, for reasons both simple and somewhat unquantifiable.

Seattle is a division foe and arguably the Astros' biggest threat moving forward. The Mariners are equipped with one of the best pitching staffs in all of baseball, but a sluggish offense doomed them in 2024. Adding Bregman, in addition to the Randy Arozarena trade last season, starts to put Seattle on the right track offensively. Bregman's discipline and consistency in the heart of the Mariners' lineup would change the dynamics of that team.

The Yankees aren't in Houston's division, but that is the No. 1 seed in the American League. More importantly, it's the Yankees. How many fanbases have been wounded by beloved stars leaving for the bright lights of NYC? There is an undeniable history and prestige tethered to the Yankees organization. That is where the best stars this sport has ever seen tend to wind up eventually. It's no fun for Houston fans to imagine Bregman donning pinstripes and raking next to Aaron Judge for the next half-decade.

Bowden's projection for Bregman's contract is $185.5 million over seven years. That ain't cheap, and Houston has let expensive stars walk in the past. Bregman's importance to the organization, culturally and historically, is unique, but there seems to be real momentum toward his departure after nine years.

If that is the way the wind blows, Houston fans will just hope he ends up in a more palatable destination than Bowden's projected frontrunners.