MLB Insider: Where things stand between Alex Bregman and the Astros, Cubs, Red Sox and Tigers

Immediately after the Houston Astros signed Christian Walker to a multi-year contract, the prevailing thought was that Alex Bregman would sign elsewhere.

After all, negotiations with Bregman and his camp stalled. The team had a six-year, $156 million offer on the table and Bregman did not accept it, prompting general manager Dana Brown and the Astros front office to pivot to Walker.

Months later, Bregman remains unsigned, and a resolution with his free agency does not appear any closer. Among the teams that have been linked to Bregman in reports include the Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers. But the reality is that none of the teams listed are close to signing the All-Star infielder.

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Cubs aren't willing to go long

The Cubs have Matt Shaw as their long-term third baseman and just signed Jon Berti for $2 million for depth purposes.

While Berti would certainly not take the Cubs out of the bidding for Bregman, the prevailing thought is that the Cubs will not offer Bregman the long-term contract that he seeks.

The trade to acquire Ryan Pressly, and adding his salary to the 2025 payroll, would seem to make a Bregman-to-Chicago pairing more unlikely.

Red Sox connections to Alex Bregman aren't likely to make a difference

The Red Sox have been connected to Bregman all winter, but they have never been close to signing him.

There’s a connection to manager Alex Cora from their time in Houston. But unless the Red Sox significantly up their pursuit of Bregman, it’s difficult to imagine him ending up in Boston.

Tigers and Alex Bregman are at an impasse

The Tigers were strongly connected to Bregman all winter through reports, but the two sides have reached a stalemate in talks. Perhaps they could break through the gap and get a deal done, but the two sides are far apart.

Which leaves Bregman’s market as a gigantic mystery. His agent, Scott Boras, has been adamant that he’s not interested in a short-term contract. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that one reason that Bregman wasn’t interested in the Astros’ $156 million bid was that it was a cut from his $28.5 million salary from last season.

It’s a situation that feels similar to the Mets and Pete Alonso. While the two sides are not close in negotiations, they may be the best fit for one another when it’s all said and done. But the fit for Bregman and the Astros is a lot less clear than it is for Alonso and the Mets.

What would it take for the Astros to keep Alex Bregman?

For Bregman to return to Houston, the Astros would need to reconfigure their infield. Jose Altuve is already a candidate to play both in the infield and outfield this season. Signing either Bregman or Jorge Polanco, who the team has been linked to in reports, would make the infield even more crowded and could lead to another trade to clear payroll in 2025.

But even while Brown insists that a reunion is a “long shot,” the team remains less than $5 million away from the first tax threshold. Team owner Jim Crane has insisted that he’s unwilling to pay the tax for a second consecutive season, according to Chandler Rome of The Athletic. But Bregman is important to the Astros and Houston is important to Bregman.

So while a deal is perhaps a longshot, it should not be ruled out. Especially with Bregman’s free agency dragging and seemingly no end in sight.