Since the season ended on October 2nd, the Astros have made some offseason moves including signing Christian Walker and trading Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs for Isaac Parades, Hayden Wesneski and prospect Cam Smith.

One player of note who remains unsigned is Alex Bregman. The All-Star third baseman was reportedly offered a six-year deal from the Astros worth over $150 million earlier in the offseason, ultimately rejected by Bregman and his agent Scott Boras.

With spring training starting in less than a month, it’s safe to say time may be running out for the 30-year-old. With his options getting more limited as the days progress, it’s not out of the realm of possibility to see Bregman return to Houston for the 2025 season.

Astros manager Joe Espada has been open about his willingness to have Bregman return to the team given the right opportunity.

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

Bregman has been linked to the Tigers and Red Sox this offseason with little to no traction between him and either club.

The Red Sox seem to make the most logical sense to sign the All-Star, and appear to be the front-runner as of late. Former Astros’ bench coach Alex Cora is still Boston’s manager and continues to maintain a good relationship with Bregman, according to reports.

The Red Sox have spent money on players in the past such as Trevor Story and signing Rafael Devers to a long-term extension in recent years, so it would be a move that makes sense for Boston to make.

Bregman could also be a natural fit given his willingness to move positions, essentially shifting him to second base full-time, or Devers moving to first base and Bregman returning to third base.

Although it seems like a good fit on paper, Boston appears to be hesitant to give Bregman the $200 million plus contract he wants.

Similarly to the Red Sox, the Tigers have been linked to the two-time All-Star as well throughout the offseason, but talks have stalled between both parties recently.

With Bregman running low on options as spring training draws near, it may be time for the 30-year-old to consider taking a short-term contract, even though he was initially against this.

Scott Boras is notorious for giving his clients short deals to get back on the free agent market the following season. Last year Blake Snell, Matt Chapman and Jordan Montgomery took short deals with an opt-out after one season. All three players remained unsigned heading into spring training and didn’t sign until just before the start of the regular season.

Bregman may be forced into this kind of deal, which could potentially bring the Astros back into contention to sign their former third baseman.

Although Houston may have secured their corner infield positions with Christian Walker at first base and Isaac Paredes at third, Bregman could still find a role on this team.

The most obvious scenario would be to move Paredes to left field and put the Gold Glove winner back at his natural position, third base.

Another possibility was reported by USA Today's Bob Nightengale on Thursday. He suggested that moving Jose Altuve to left field could be an option if Bregman re-signs with Houston.

Bringing Bregman back would give the club more infield depth and give their lineup another reliable bat.

If the Astros could re-sign Bregman to a short-term deal with an opt-out after one season, it could behoove both parties and keep Houston’s championship window open for the foreseeable future.