Astros add wrinkle to Bregman negotiations while GM gets real about closer situation
A NEW TWIST
30 January
A NEW TWIST
As the Astros and their fans wait on Alex Bregman to pick his next team, reports continue to surface about what it will take financially to seal the deal.
The Blue Jays reportedly have a 6-year deal on the table for Breggy, as well as the 'Stros. Bregman's agent Scott Boras has reportedly told teams that Houston's offer isn't enough to get a deal done, claiming the offer requires Alex to take a pay cut on a per-year basis.
But Bregman and his representation can't have it both ways. At least not if he wants to return to H-Town. If they want the security of a 6-year guaranteed contract, Houston isn't going to pay full price on a per-year basis too.
When GM Dana Brown spoke to the media this week, he mentioned that he needed to respond to a text from Boras. He also said the team is speaking internally about the ripple effect that would occur from signing Breggy. Which Brown says could include Jose Altuve playoff some left field.
Phone tag
Brown's casual approach to returning Boras' text makes a lot of sense to us. At this point, the offer is the offer. There's really nothing else to say to Boras. Either they're taking the deal or he's signing somewhere else.
Which feels like the right way to approach the situation. If Bregman isn't satisfied with 6-years, $156 million, then he should prepare to play elsewhere.
One has to wonder how long the Brown and the Astros will let this play out, with spring training right around the corner.
Plan B in free agency
Another thing we learned from Brown's presser was that he still views adding a left-handed bat as a priority. Which checks out, considering Chandler Rome is reporting that the Astros may have interest in signing switch hitter Jorge Polanco. Even though Polanco is an infielder by trade, many believe he could be an option in left field for Houston. Sound familiar?
The club's reported interest in Polanco could also be a leverage play by Brown. Signaling to Boras and Bregman that the team could pivot at any given moment.
Sour grapes?
We also discovered that Ryan Pressly wasn't too keen on being demoted to a setup role when the Astros signed Josh Hader last offseason. Pressly kept things professional, but Brown said things were never the same between him and Pressly after adding Hader.
One has to wonder if, in private moments, Pressly felt justified after Hader was such a disappointment in his first season with Houston.
This is one video you don't want to miss as the crew from Stone Cold 'Stros breaks it all down!
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What looked like a minor blip after an emotional series win in Los Angeles has turned into something more concerning for the Houston Astros.
Swept at home by a Guardians team that came in riding a 10-game losing streak, the Astros were left looking exposed. Not exhausted, as injuries, underperformance, and questionable decision-making converged to hand Houston one of its most frustrating series losses of the year.
Depth finally runs dry
It would be easy to point to a “Dodger hangover” as the culprit, the emotional peak of an 18-1 win at Chavez Ravine followed by a mental lull. But that’s not the story here.
Houston’s energy was still evident, especially in the first two games of the series, where the offense scored five or more runs each time. Including those, the Astros had reached that mark in eight of their last 10 games heading into Wednesday’s finale.
But scoring isn’t everything, not when a lineup held together by duct tape and desperation is missing Christian Walker and Jake Meyers and getting critical at-bats from Cooper Hummel, Zack Short, and other journeymen.
The lack of depth finally showed. The Astros, for three days, looked more like a Triple-A squad with Jose Altuve and a couple big-league regulars sprinkled in.
Cracks in the pitching core
And the thing that had been keeping this team afloat, elite pitching, finally buckled.
Hunter Brown and Josh Hader, both dominant all season, finally cracked. Brown gave up six runs in six innings, raising his pristine 1.82 ERA to 2.21. Hader wasn’t spared either, coughing up a game-losing grand slam in extra innings that inflated his ERA from 1.80 to 2.38 in one night.
But the struggles weren’t isolated. Bennett Sousa, Kaleb Ort, and Steven Okert each gave up runs at critical moments. The bullpen’s collective fade could not have come at a worse time for a team already walking a tightrope.
Injury handling under fire
Houston’s injury management is also drawing heat, and rightfully so. Jake Meyers, who had been nursing a calf strain, started Wednesday’s finale. He didn’t even make it through one pitch before aggravating the injury and needing to be helped off the field.
No imaging before playing him. No cautionary rest despite the All-Star break looming. Just a rushed return in a banged-up lineup, and it backfired immediately.
Second-guessing has turned to outright criticism of the Astros’ medical staff, as fans and analysts alike wonder whether these mounting injuries are being made worse by how the club is handling them.
Pressure mounts on Dana Brown
All eyes now turn to Astros GM Dana Brown. The Astros are limping into the break with no clear reinforcements on the immediate horizon. Only Chas McCormick is currently rehabbing in Sugar Land. Everyone else? Still sidelined.
Brown will need to act — and soon.
At a minimum, calling up top prospect Brice Matthews makes sense. He’s been mashing in Triple-A (.283/.400/.476, 10 HR, .876 OPS) and could play second base while Jose Altuve shifts to left field more regularly. With Mauricio Dubón stretched thin between shortstop and center, injecting Matthews’ upside into the infield is a logical step.
*Editor's note: The Astros must be listening, Matthews was called up Thursday afternoon!
The Astros are calling up Brice Matthews, their top prospect on @MLBPipeline
via @brianmctaggart pic.twitter.com/K91cGKkcx6
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 10, 2025
There’s also trade chatter, most notably about Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins, but excitement has been tepid. His numbers don’t jump off the page, but compared to who the Astros are fielding now, Mullins would be a clear upgrade and a much-needed big-league presence.
A final test before the break
Before the All-Star reset, Houston gets one last chance to stabilize the ship, and it comes in the form of a rivalry series against the Texas Rangers. The Astros will send their top trio — Lance McCullers Jr., Framber Valdez, and Hunter Brown — to the mound for a three-game set that will test their resolve, their health, and perhaps their postseason aspirations.
The Silver Boot is up for grabs. So is momentum. And maybe, clarity on just how far this version of the Astros can go.
There's so much more to discuss! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.
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