The Astros are emerging as strong contenders in the trade for a $52M replacement for Alex Bregman.

 

The Houston Astros have been aggressively pursuing third baseman Alex Bregman in free agency, with Bregman seen as their top priority for the past few weeks. However, the team may be reconsidering their approach.

 

On Friday, the Astros traded outfielder Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for a package focused on third baseman Isaac Paredes, who appears to be a strong replacement for Bregman. But could the Astros have an even better strategy in mind?

 

Chandler Rome of The Athletic recently revealed that the Astros are actively pursuing a potential trade for St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado, who is valued at $52 million.

“In what may be the clearest indication that the organization is moving on from Alex Bregman, the Houston Astros have become a serious contender for St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado, according to multiple league sources who spoke to The Athletic on Saturday,” Rome reported. “While no deal is thought to be imminent, discussions between the Cardinals and Astros have intensified since this week’s Winter Meetings in Dallas, where Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak stated that he ‘intends to try’ to move Arenado.”

 

While the Astros could opt to play Paredes at third base as a replacement for Bregman, acquiring Arenado would be an even better solution. This would allow Paredes to shift to first base, addressing another significant need for the Astros. Arenado would provide a substantial defensive upgrade over both Paredes and Bregman, while Paredes would represent a major improvement at first base.

 

The Cardinals are eager to move the veteran third baseman, so a trade could happen fairly quickly. While there may be other more aggressive teams in the mix, the Astros are definitely a team to watch in this situation.