The Yankees have multiple vacancies in their infield.
Alex Bregman is a free agent.
It makes sense, then, that Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has spoken about the longtime Houston Astros third baseman with agent Scott Boras, which Cashman confirmed doing during a Zoom press conference Friday.
“I certainly respect the player and his ability and how much winning he’s been a part of,” Cashman said of Bregman, “but that’s about as far as I will say at this point.”
Whether Bregman is a realistic match for the Yankees remains a complicated case.
Bregman, who turns 31 in March, is expected to command a long-term contract that could approach $200 million.
He is coming off a 2024 season in which he batted .260 with 26 home runs and 75 RBI while finishing as a Gold Glove finalist.
Bregman’s .768 OPS, however, marked a career low for the nine-year veteran. He’s now a half-decade removed from back-to-back top-five finishes in American League MVP voting in 2018-19 — which are also the last two seasons Bregman received an All-Star selection.
Still, Bregman would provide a significant boost to a Yankees infield in which last season’s primary second baseman, Gleyber Torres, is a free agent.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. plugged in admirably at third base for the Yankees following this trade-deadline arrival over the summer, but he could shift back to his more natural second base should the team acquire someone to play third.
With Willy Adames signing with the San Francisco Giants, Bregman represents the best third baseman on the free-agent market.
“He’s been a thorn in our side for years, along with other people’s sides,” Cashman said of Bregman. “He’s now into free agency. I’m sure he’s got a boatload of choices. Really good players like him make a lot of money.”
Many expected Bregman to re-sign with the Astros, who drafted him No. 2 overall in 2015 and with whom he won the World Series in 2017 and 2022, but Houston’s recent activity has made a reunion seem less likely.
The Astros traded right fielder Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs last week for a package that included power-hitting corner infielder Isaac Paredes and touted third base prospect Cam Smith.
Even if Paredes were to play first base for Houston, the 21-year-old Smith is expected to be ready for the majors by 2026.
The Astros are also considered a serious contender to trade for St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado, according to The Athletic. Adding the 33-year-old Arenado, who has three years remaining on his contract, would all but spell the end of Bregman’s time in Houston.
The addition of Bregman would be difficult for some Yankees fans to stomach given his connection to the 2017 Astros, who defeated the Yankees in the ALCS that year before being busted in a sign-stealing scandal.
Bregman also might not be an ideal fit for Yankee Stadium, considering he is a right-handed pull hitter who benefitted from the shallow Crawford Boxes in left field at Houston’s Minute Maid Park. Of the 13 home runs Bregman hit to left field in home games last season, four would not have been homers in the Bronx.
The Yankees’ infield depth took a hit last week when they included speedy second base prospect Caleb Durbin in their trade to acquire closer Devin Williams from the Milwaukee Brewers.
Durbin, a 24-year-old contact hitter who did not crack the Yankees’ top-30 prospects list, according to MLB Pipeline, had been mentioned as a possibility for the Yankees at second base.
“Durbin has emerged as a legitimate candidate that we considered, so we had to weigh leaving that lane for him versus acquiring someone at the level of Devin Williams, and right or wrong, we just felt it was harder to acquire someone at the level of Devin Williams than it would be to try to figure out infield circumstances,” Cashman said.
“I don’t belittle how important infield is, because it is. We need to get some strong defense and quality offense.”
The Yankees also have openings at first base, where Anthony Rizzo is a free agent, and in the outfield, where Juan Soto left for a record-setting 15-year, $765 million contract with the Mets. Both bat left-handed and helped balance the Yankees’ lineup.
Soto’s exit, in particular, left a hole in the heart of the Yankees’ batting order. While Bregman would add another righty bat to an offense anchored by right-handed sluggers Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, he would add much-needed middle-of-the-order pedigree.
Bregman boasts 19 home runs, 54 RBI and a .789 OPS in 99 career playoff games.
“My job is to find a way to make us as quality as we can year in and year out,” Cashman said. “So we’re gonna vet every opportunity out there and, first and foremost, find out if that can match.”
