Houston Astros legend Roy Oswalt has sent a very clear message to the team regarding Alex Bregman.
Bregman has been with the Astros since they drafted him No. 2 overall in 2015. He made it to the big leagues in 2016 and just completed his 8th full season with the club.
Bregman had signed a 5-year, $100 million deal with the team in 2019 that bought out his first two years of free agency, but that contract has now expired, which makes the 30-year-old a free agent. And there are major questions about whether he will be re-signed.
Oswalt thinks the Astros need to make it happen.
“BRING BREGMAN BACK,” Oswalt wrote in an all-capital letters message via X on Tuesday.
BRING BREGMAN BACK
— Roy Oswalt (@royoswalt44net) October 22, 2024
Oswalt, who was a 3-time All-Star pitcher with the Astros, isn’t alone in wanting Bregman back.
Astros second baseman Jose Altuve, manager Joe Espada, and general manager Dana Brown have all expressed a desire to have Bregman return. But the decision won’t be up to them.
Whether or not the Astros pay up big money to retain Bregman is an ownership decision that will likely be made by Jim Crane. Houston historically has not given out huge contracts under him, and Bregman is in line for a big one.
Matt Chapman just got a 6-year, $151 million extension from the Giants, and many would regard Bregman as a better player. Bregman stands to earn more than that.
Will Houston be the club to pay him? That remains to be seen for the two-time All-Star.
