New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman confirmed on Friday that he has engaged in contract discussions with Scott Boras, the representative for free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman. However, Cashman did not provide details about the progress of those talks or specify when they took place.
“He’s been a thorn in our sides for years, along with a lot of other peoples’ sides. He’s now into free agency and I’m sure he’s got a whole boatload of choices. Really good players like him make a lot of money,” the Yankees general manager mentioned.
The Yankees presented the second-largest offer in professional sports history with their final bid of $760 million over 16 years to free-agent outfielder Juan Soto last weekend. They were outbid by the Mets, who secured Soto with a record-setting $765 million offer over 15 years.
After losing the Soto sweepstakes, New York have enhanced their pitching by securing Max Fried on an eight-year, $218 million deal and acquiring Brewers closer Devin Williams, whom Brian Cashman admitted they had targeted for years. Despite these moves, the team must address their offensive needs after missing out on Juan Soto, who signed with the Mets.
Brian Cashman and the Yankees targeting Alex Bregman
Bregman is widely considered the top free-agent position player remaining on the market after Soto and shortstop Willy Adames secured new deals with the Mets and San Francisco Giants, respectively.
Reports indicate that the Astros have proposed a six-year deal worth approximately $156 million to bring Bregman back. However, Bregman is reportedly seeking a contract valued at no less than $200 million and is likely to secure it as teams that missed out on Soto shift their focus to other top targets.
Bregman is no stranger to the Yankees and their fans, given the heated rivalry between Houston and New York over the last decade. His involvement with the 2017 World Series-winning Astros, who beat the Yankees on their path to the title and were later caught for illegally stealing signs, has turned him into a bit of a villain in the Bronx.
In total, Bregman’s Astros have knocked New York out of the ALCS three times in the past eight years.
The void left by Juan Soto
The Yankees, ideally, need to fill two infield spots — a second or third baseman and a first baseman. Cashman traded Caleb Durbin, who was considered the “odds-on” favorite to be the starting second baseman, as part of the Williams deal. This has left Oswaldo Cabrera, Jorbit Vivas, and Oswald Peraza as potential internal options for the position.
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New York could also consider DJ LeMahieu, though he has reached a point in his career where he can no longer be relied upon as an everyday player. Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s positional flexibility gives the Yankees the option to target either a second baseman or third baseman. While Chisholm performed well defensively at third, he is a more natural fit in the middle infield.
In 2025, Chisholm is projected to move back to the middle infield. Bregman, a Gold Glove recipient at third base, would provide a substantial improvement on both offense and defense for virtually any team that secures his services.
What Bregman brings to the table
Since the Astros selected him as the second overall pick in the 2015 MLB Draft, Bregman has totaled 39.6 Wins Above Replacement over nine seasons in Houston, according to Baseball Reference, with a slash line of .272/.366/.483.
In the postseason, Alex Bregman has posted a .238/.346/.443 slash line over 99 games, coinciding with the most successful stretch in Astros franchise history. His teammate, second baseman Jose Altuve, expressed his desire to have Bregman return after the Astros' unexpected early exit following two Wild Card games in October.
