The Houston Astros tried to re-sign third baseman Alex Bregman earlier this offseason, and at one point reportedly offered him a deal greater than what he's exp

Houston general manager Dana Brown says the door for re-signing free agent Alex Bregman is “cracked” open, but he acknowledges keeping the third baseman with the Astros would be a long shot.

The Astros don't want to invoke a high luxury tax bill, while their franchise icon is begging them to re-sign a star free agent — how can all parties get what they want?

Bregman, who has played his entire nine-year career with the Astros, hit .260 with a .768 OPS, 26 home runs and 75 RBIs and won his first Gold Glove at the hot corner in 2024.

Bregman coming back at this point would be a bit awkward because Houston has clearly conducted its offseason under the assumption that he was leaving. It traded star outfielder Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs and got back infielder Isaac Paredes, who has played the strong majority of his games at third base.

Alex Bregman could be headed for an Astros reunion after all. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported Thursday that Houston is “keeping the door ajar” to potentially re-sign the star third baseman. The Athletic added that talks have resumed between the two sides.

After the Houston Astros fielded a payroll in 2024 that triggered MLB’s competitive balance tax, incurring the penalty for the first time amid owner Jim Crane’s tenure, Crane was asked if the team would consider overstepping the tax threshold again in 2025.