Scott Boras' wounded pride is the only obstacle to an Astros-Alex Bregman reunion

Alex Bregman remains stranded in free agency, unable to convince the Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers or anybody else to meet his (or, more accurately, Scott Boras') asking price. And the longer this drags on, and the closer we get to Spring Training, the less likely it is that any team caves to his demands — or comes anywhere close to them.

Any team, that is, except for one: the Houston Astros — you know, the team that Bregman and Boras very publicly spurned just last month after not getting what they wanted at the negotiating table. That rumored $156 million deal may not have been the payday that Bregman dreamed of, and it may pay him less than peers like Manny Machado; but based on how the past few weeks have gone, it seems like the best the two-time All-Star is going to do. And the Astros are here to tell him that it's still his if he wants it — or if Boras will allow him to take it.

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Astros tell Alex Bregman 'we told you so' amid free agency stand-off

Astros manager Joe Espada spoke to the media over the weekend, and he was willing to get pretty candid about the whole Bregman situation. Despite the fact that Bregman made pretty clear that Houston was out of his price range, it looks like that bridge is very much not burned. In fact, Espada would love to have Bregman back in 2025 and beyond, and he and the rest of the organization are still open to making that happen.

“Well, he has not signed with anyone, right?" Espada said. “So, our arms are still open. The door is still open. There’s always a chance, right? But right now, we are still in conversations with not only him but with other free-agent players. So we’ll see.”

Acknowledging that the team is still in conversations with Bregman would seem to go above and beyond the usual lip service, suggesting that Houston remains interested in a reunion here. And really, why wouldn't they? Sure, they acquired corner infielder Isaac Paredes as part of the return for Kyle Tucker, but Paredes can just as easily slide across the diamond to first base, where Houston is also in need of an upgrade. And with a Tucker extension no longer on the table, Jim Crane would seem to have the room to pay Bregman something close to what he wants.

All of which, of course, hinges on Boras. It's clear that the grass hasn't been greener in free agency, and the market that he and Bregman were hoping for simply hasn't materialized. Unless something drastically changes in the next couple of weeks, neither the Red Sox nor the Tigers nor the Toronto Blue Jays are going to offer him $200 million into his late 30s. Houston has been the most willing partner throughout the offseason, and they offer both familiarity and a competitive roster that should have no trouble winning a weak division. That should be good enough, but with Boras' fanatical commitment to chasing top dollar, you never know.