Alex Bregman

Astros Notes: Bregman, Álvarez, Greinke, Javier

By TC Zencka | March 15, 2021 at 8:33am CDT

The Houston Astros will enter 2021 more vulnerable than ever atop the American League West. And yet, they remain atop the division. Or do they? Yesterday, our own Mark Polishuk asked MLBTR readers to predict the division winner, and so far, the Astros have fallen from their perch. Readers are currently projecting the A’s to win the division – though the Astros aren’t far behind.

Astros’ fever may spike as their stars return to health. Alex Bregman and Yordan Álvarez will both make their Grapefruit League debut on Tuesday, per MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart (via Twitter), which should provide a lift for manager Dusty Baker and company. Álvarez will be closely monitored for most of the season after offseason knee surgery. He’ll be limited to designated hitter duties in 2021. His bat, of course, can be a real difference maker. The 23-year-old owns an absurd .343 ISO though 378 plate appearances.

Bregman’s return to the lineup is no less crucial. Though he was the last arriving of the Astros’ original position player core, he’s grown into the best performer of the bunch. Back-to-back MVP-consideration seasons have launched Bregman into the first tier of MLB superstar. Especially with a roster that’s thinner that in year’s past, the Astros will need Bregman to ramp up to regular season form quickly.

When the season does open, it will be Zack Greinke on the hill. To no one’s surprise, Baker named Greinke their opening day starter, per Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). Though he was a rotation luxury behind Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander when he was acquired, Greinke has grown in importance over the past year and a half, not only on the hill, but in the clubhouse and in front of reporters as well. The veteran has a 3.54 ERA/3.02 FIP in 129 2/3 innings over two seasons since joining the Astros.

Elsewhere in the rotation, the Astros are already without Framber Valdez, and his replacement Jake Odorizzi won’t be ready by opening day. Cristian Javier, however, say he will be ready to go, per Sports Director at Fox 26 Mark Berman (via Twitter).

AL West Notes: Seager, Bregman, Lowrie, Murphy

By Mark Polishuk | March 7, 2021 at 1:41pm CDT

Since it seems unlikely that the Mariners will exercise their $15MM club option on Kyle Seager for the 2022 season, the third baseman could very well be entering his 11th and final season in a Seattle uniform. Seager told Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times that he is focused on baseball rather than any contractual possibilities, but did say that if he does leave the M’s, he wants to go out with only positive feelings between himself and the organization. This wasn’t exactly helped by the recent description of Seager as “overpaid” by former Mariners president/CEO Kevin Mather, and while Seager disagreed with the label, he seemed to shrug off the criticism. “You certainly don’t love hearing comments about you like that….but that stuff is out of my control. And if I got frustrated every time someone complained about me, I’d be having a tough go of it,” Seager said.

Beyond just leaving on a high note off the field, Seager naturally would also love some more success on the field — the M’s have enjoyed just three winning seasons in Seager’s decade with the team, and haven’t reached the postseason. The rebuilding Mariners may not be quite ready to contend just yet, and Seager is something of a difficult trade candidate since his 2022 club option vests into a guarantee if he is dealt. (Plus, Seager will gain full no-trade rights roughly three months into the 2021 season, as he is on pace to achieve 10-and-5 status.) The third baseman said that he hasn’t spoken with GM Jerry Dipoto about trade possibilities or the club option, but Seager figures that without the vesting clause, he would have been moved a long time ago as part of Seattle’s roster overhaul.

Injury Notes: Cain, Realmuto, Astros, Lowrie, Severino

By Anthony Franco | March 5, 2021 at 2:14pm CDT

Lorenzo Cain recently strained his calf in batting practice and is expected to miss one or two weeks, reports Robert Murray of FanSided. The injury is believed to be “very minor,” but the Brewers will be cautious in bringing the veteran center fielder back to action. Yesterday’s agreement with Jackie Bradley Jr. gives the Brewers cover at the position if Cain winds up needing more recovery time than expected. Manager Craig Counsell reiterated (via Murray) that Cain “is our center fielder,” so it seems Bradley’s ticketed for right field on most days if everyone’s healthy.

A few more injury updates:

Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto had his hard cast removed and replaced with a splint as he works his way back from a fractured right thumb, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com was among those to report. That’s a generally encouraging sign, as Zolecki notes that this had been the anticipated next step in his recovery. However, Realmuto still has not progressed to a point where he can hit or throw. It remains unclear if he’ll be ready in time for Opening Day. Something resembling a typical season from Realmuto, arguably the game’s top catcher, is no doubt a key piece of Philadelphia’s hopes of snapping a nine-year playoff drought.
Third baseman Alex Bregman and designated hitter Yordan Álvarez haven’t yet gotten into spring training games for the Astros, but it doesn’t seem there’s much cause for concern. Bregman “tweaked” his hamstring and is taking things slowly, notes Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. The 26-year-old would be playing through the soreness if it were the regular season, he says. Álvarez is a little further from game action, per manager Dusty Baker (via McTaggart), although that seems to be mere caution after the young slugger underwent season-ending surgery on both knees last August.
Jed Lowrie is seeing action in simulated games but has not yet been cleared to play in spring training games, Athletics manager Bob Melvin told reporters (including Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle). The former All-Star second baseman is back in A’s camp as a non-roster invitee after a two-year stint with the Mets that was ruined by injuries, most recently continued trouble with his left knee. Lowrie has taken just eight MLB place appearances since leaving Oakland after a stellar 2018 season.
Yankees right-hander Luis Severino continues to progress “really well” from his February 2020 Tommy John surgery, general manager Brian Cashman said this afternoon (via Erik Boland of Newsday). Severino had already moved to a long toss routine and soon should be able to throw off a mound, Cashman said. One of the best pitchers in the league from 2017-18, Severino has been limited to just 12 innings over the past two seasons by injury. His return would be a boon to a New York rotation that is high on upside but has plenty of risk behind ace Gerrit Cole.

Alex Bregman Nearing Return; Astros Place Taylor, Devenski On IL

By Connor Byrne | September 7, 2020 at 6:29pm CDT

The Astros are likely to activate star third baseman Alex Bregman from the injured list on Tuesday, manager Dusty Baker told Jake Kaplan of The Athletic and other reporters.

Houston has gone without Bregman since he suffered a strained right hamstring on Aug. 19, temporarily depriving the club of one of baseball’s greatest talents. Bregman’s production has dipped a bit compared to the previous couple seasons, but his output has still been outstanding this season. The 26-year-old slashed .272/.374/.500 (139 wRC+) with four home runs in 107 plate appearances before hitting the IL. The Astros have since turned to Abraham Toro, Jack Mayfield and Aledmys Diaz at the hot corner, but those three have registered terrible numbers this season. Plus, having dropped four straight to fall to 21-19, the Astros as a whole have slumped of late, so they’ll be all the more pleased to welcome Bregman back.

Meantime, the news isn’t nearly as positive for Houston’s pitching staff, which lost left-hander Blake Taylor and righty Chris Devenski to the IL with elbow problems on Monday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle tweets. The Astros will use righties Chase De Jong and Humberto Castellanos to take their open roster spots.

The rookie Taylor, 25, has been a bright spot for an Astros relief corps that has dealt with injuries to the likes of Roberto Osuna and Brad Peacock, among others. In his first 17 major league frames, Taylor has posted a 2.12 ERA/4.09 FIP with 7.94 K/9 and a 51.1 percent groundball rate, though he has walked 5.82 batters per nine. Devenski, formerly a key cog for Houston’s bullpen, has been battling elbow issues throughout the season. He made two appearances in July, missed all of August and then totaled another two appearances this month (on Sept. 5 and 6), in which he combined for 1 2/3 innings of three-run ball, before going back to the IL.

Astros Place Alex Bregman On Injured List

By Steve Adams | August 20, 2020 at 11:46am CDT

The Astros have placed third baseman Alex Bregman on the 10-day injured list due to a strained right hamstring, manager Dusty Baker announced to reporters Thursday (Twitter link via Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle). Bregman is traveling home to Houston to undergo an MRI and determine the severity of the injury. Left-hander Cionel Perez has been recalled from the Astros’ alternate training site to take Bregman’s spot on the roster.

Injuries continue to mount at an alarming rate for the Astros, who this week learned that Yordan Alvarez will require season-ending knee surgery. Houston has also received just one start from Justin Verlander in 2020, while closer Roberto Osuna is staring down a potential Tommy John surgery (though he’ll first attempt to rehab). Brad Peacock and Jose Urquidy, expected to be key members of the bullpen and rotation, respectively, have not thrown a pitch this year. Michael Brantley, meanwhile, has been on the IL for nearly a week and was sidelined prior to that due to a quadriceps strain. George Springer has missed time due to a wrist strain but is playing through it rather than going on the IL.

With Bregman out, the ’Stros will very likely turn third base over to young Abraham Toro. A well-regarded 23-year-old, Toro hasn’t hit much in limited Major League time yet, but he obliterated Double-A pitching (.306/.393/.513 in 435 PAs) and Triple-A pitching (.424/.506/.606 in 79 PAs) alike in 2019.

Houston’s DH situation is a bit more tenuous. Kyle Tucker is manning left field on a regular basis in the absence of Brantley. Alvarez is out for the season, and Toro could see regular reps at third for at least the immediate future. That’ll push one of Myles Straw, Jack Mayfield or rookie Taylor Jones into the lineup with regularity.

Alex Bregman Exits With Hamstring Injury

By Connor Byrne | August 19, 2020 at 8:50pm CDT

9:50pm: Bregman left with hamstring discomfort and is day to day, Mark Berman of Fox 26 was among those to report.

8:41pm: Astros superstar third baseman Alex Bregman exited their game Wednesday with a potential leg or ankle injury, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle tweets. Bregman departed immediately after limping to second base on a double.

More on the severity of Bregman’s issue should be known soon, though it’s obvious losing him for any extended period would be yet another massive blow to an injury-riddled Houston club. The Astros lost one of their premier hitters, Yordan Alvarez, for the season because of a knee injury Wednesday. They’ve also been without reigning AL Cy Young winner Justin Verlander for almost all of the campaign on account of a forearm strain, and there’s no word on when he could return. Furthermore, Michael Brantley, Roberto Osuna, Aledmys Diaz, Brad Peacock and Jose Urquidy are also on the IL right now.

To the Astros’ credit, they have overcome their injury obstacles to begin the season 13-10, just one game back of wild-card position. Bregman has helped keep them afloat with a .272/.374/.500 line and four home runs in 108 plate appearances. Those aren’t the otherworldly, MVP-type numbers Bregman put up from 2018-19, but they’re still far above the league average.

Coronavirus Notes: Astros, Diekman, Teheran, Indians

By Connor Byrne | July 9, 2020 at 12:46am CDT

Astros superstar Alex Bregman had to sit out Wednesday’s practice because the results of his latest coronavirus test did not arrive on time, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle relays. “I look forward to having the issue resolved as soon as possible to rejoin my teammates tomorrow,” Bregman stated. Meanwhile, teammate and outfielder Michael Brantley expressed frustration with the league’s testing problems, saying “[players] kind of want answers.” He added, “I’d love to hear from Rob (Manfred) and some clarity on how we’re going to get this done because that’s very important.” Houston’s among a few teams slowed early in Summer Camp by testing delays, further calling into question whether MLB is capable of pulling off this season.

Like Brantley, Athletics reliever Jake Diekman is unhappy with how the league has handled the testing process. There’s plenty at stake for Diekman – the 33-year-old has battled ulcerative colitis for most of his life and underwent surgery to remove his colon in 2017, putting him in greater danger of contracting the virus. Diekman told Alex Coffey of The Athletic: “I’m high-risk, so I have to speak out for everyone. I don’t want to get sick.” He went on to question MLB’s estimate of how many players have tested positive, opining that it must “be getting close to 100.” And while Diekman doesn’t want to opt out of the season, he’s skeptical that one will even happen. “Once the regular season hits, there’s no way I’m opting out,” he said. “But if they don’t get the testing figured out, this whole thing will get shut down. That’s my personal opinion.” Coffey’s piece is worth a full read, as there’s plenty more on the concerns Diekman and his wife, Amanda, have in regards to a potential season.
The Angels placed right-hander Julio Teheran on the 10-day injured list earlier this week, but even manager Joe Maddon was uncertain of the reason. It turns out that Teheran’s still in Atlanta – where he pitched previously – because he and his family have shown symptoms consistent with COVID-19, he told Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes (Spanish-language link). Teheran revealed he “was not feeling well,” but he’s hopeful of joining his team in Los Angeles this weekend if he gets the go-ahead. Regardless, with the campaign just two weeks away, Maddon’s not sure if Teheran will be available from the jump (via Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com), as the skipper observed that “it would probably be a rush” to place him in the Angels’ season-opening rotation.
Indians outfielder Delino DeShields tested positive for the coronavirus last week, but it looks as if he’s on the road to recovery. DeShields’ most recent test came back negative, and he’s on his way to Cleveland as a result, Paul Hoynes of cleveland.com reports. If he tests negative again there, he’ll be able to join his teammates for Summer Camp. [JULY 11 UPDATE: DeShields indeed tested negative for the second time, and rejoined the Tribe’s camp.] More good news: Slugger Franmil Reyes returned to practice Wednesday after testing negative. The Indians held Reyes out of camp for two days amid worries that he contracted the illness at a July 4 party.

Alex Bregman Hires Scott Boras

By Steve Adams | July 3, 2020 at 8:29am CDT

Astros third baseman Alex Bregman has hired Scott Boras as his new agent, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Reports that Bregman was seeking new representation emerged back in May, after he parted ways with longtime representative Brodie Scoffield, who had recently joined Klutch Sports’ fledgling baseball division. Klutch, a powerhouse NBA firm led by agent Rich Paul, represents the likes of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, John Wall and Draymond Green but expanded into baseball in early April by acquiring Scoffiled’s Tidal Sports firm.

Unfortunately for all parties involved, it was only a few weeks later that James’ film company, Uninterrupted, announced plans to produce a docu-series on the Astros’ 2017 sign-stealing scandal. That indeed played a role in Bregman’s decision to jump ship, Rome writes, adding that Bregman had no ill will toward Scoffield.

The Boras Corporation won’t be negotiating a new contract for Bregman anytime soon, barring an uncharacteristic extension. (Notably, Boras did negotiate Jose Altuve’s $151MM extension with Houston.) Bregman is already under contract through the 2024 season after signing a five-year, $100MM contract in March 2019. That pact, which begins with the 2020 season, bought out Bregman’s three arbitration campaigns and two would-be free-agent seasons. Absent that long-term deal, Bregman would’ve been poised to reach the open market heading into his age-29 season, but he’ll instead become a free agent heading into his age-31 campaign.

The 2019 season was Bregman’s best to date. After a strong rookie showing in 2016 and an even better year in 2017, Bregman has only seen his stock rise. He erupted with a .286/.394/.532 slash and 31 home runs in 2018, and the former No. 2 overall pick took his game to even loftier heights with last year’s .296/.423/.592 slash (168 wRC+, 162 OPS+). Bregman was an All-Star in both 2018 and 2019, finishing fifth and second, respectively in MVP voting those years as well.

Bregman’s change in representation will be reflected in MLBTR’s Agency Database, which contains representation information on more than 2,500 players. If you see any errors or omissions, please let us know via email: mlbtrdatabase@gmail.com.

Alex Bregman Seeking New Representation

By Jeff Todd | May 19, 2020 at 3:00pm CDT

3:00pm: Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle points out that Bregman’s departure from Klutch coincides with last week’s announcement that Uninterrupted, a film production company co-founded by fellow Klutch client LeBron James, is creating a documentary exploring the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal in 2017. Bleacher Report’s Tyler Conway has more on the forthcoming docuseries.

12:56pm: Star Astros third baseman Alex Bregman is seeking new representation, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand (via Twitter). Once a change is made, it’ll be reflected in MLBTR’s Agency Database.

This is an interesting move for a variety of reasons (no, not related to trashcan-banging schemes). For one thing, while player movement between agencies is hardly unusual, it’s rare that we see reporting of a “free agent” in search of a new rep.

Bregman is not just any ballplayer, either. The 26-year-old has just kept improving and was undeniably one of the best in the sport in 2019.

Other teams won’t have a chance to lure the Houston stalwart for some time. Bregman is under contract through 2024 under the deal worked out by his now-former agent, Brodie Scoffield, which covered five seasons (beginning in 2020) and guaranteed $100MM. At the time of the pact, Scoffield had recently left the Legacy Agency to form his own outfit, Tidal Sports Group. He brought Bregman and other major clients with him. Legacy was later acquired by GSE Worldwide.

Bregman was the crown jewel of the client list when hoops powerhouse Klutch Sports bought Tidal earlier this year, although there’s been a good bit of turmoil surrounding that firm in recent weeks. MLB Network’s Jon Heyman tweeted recently that an arbitrator ruled Klutch/Scoffield will be required to split agent fees 50-50 with GSE for not only Bregman but other clients including Marcus Stroman, Kevin Gausman and Keston Hiura over the next five years.

The role that said arbitration hearing played in Bregman’s departure from the firm isn’t known at this time. Regardless, he’s sure to be pursued widely by virtually every agency in the game. Even though he’s currently signed through 2024, Bregman will still be up for a new contract in advance of the 2025 campaign — his age-31 season. And so long as he maintains his all-around excellence, the Astros may eventually hold some degree of interest in hammering out another long-term deal to retain him into his mid-30s.

Latest On Astros Managerial, GM Vacancies

By TC Zencka | January 18, 2020 at 9:16pm CDT

There hasn’t been much scuttlebutt in terms of the Astros’ GM vacancy – but a number of names have been floated for their next manager. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale observes that the current known pool of candidates leans heavily toward veteran, respected leaders (Dusty Baker, Buck Showalter, John Gibbons), while MLB Network insider Jon Heyman succinctly recaps what makes this hiring situation so very unique. The front office executives left behind in Houston would likely lean towards a more contemporary approach, given their heavily analytical approach, but with spring training not that far off, owner Jim Crane made the decision to hire his next field manager personally. Bringing in a field manager before the next general manager is not the ideal process, writes The Athletic’s Jake Kaplan, but little about the Astros’ current situation is.

Cubs third base coach Will Venable is the exception to Nightengale’s observation. When asked today at the Cubs Convention if he’d be leaving, Venable said plainly, “No, I’m not.” This, per Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun Times (via Twitter) and many others in attendance – though Venable did walk back the absolute denial a little bit later in the day (covered in depth by The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma here). Sitting bench coach Joe Espada has also been speculated about, though given the circumstances, an outside hire seems like the prohibitive favorite. For what it’s worth, MLBTR readers settled this issue just two days ago, electing Buck Showalter as the best choice with 34% of the vote.
Now a few days removed from the release of the Commissioner’s verdict on the sign-stealing scandal, most Houston Astros players have avoided public comment. Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman did speak to the media today, expressing empathy for A.J. Hinch and Jeff Luhnow, while denying any use of wearable tech, per MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart. The Commissioner’s report found no evidence of wearable tech utilized by Astros players in 2019. Still, The Athletic’s Jake Kaplan writes, the organizational response (or lack thereof) from players on the whole misses an appropriate measure of contrition. As players participated in the Astros’ FanFest today, Kaplan describes a couple of scenes wherein the organization’s PR staff attempted to mollify any discussion of the scandal by pairing stars of the team under fire – Bregman and Altuve, namely – with youngsters like Kyle Tucker, Yordan Alvarez, and Abraham Toro, who were not yet with the club in 2017.

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