Yankees reportedly ‘like’ star 3B free agent from playoff rivals

The Houston Astros are at a crossroads as they try and figure out what they’re going to do with free agent Alex Bregman, but the Yankees seem to also like the star infielder according to Jon Heyman. While the Yankees are laser-focused on the Juan Soto sweepstakes, there have been talks about what a potential Plan B could look like, and perhaps plucking a star from their hated rivals in Houston is part of that. Bregman put up a 118 wRC+ and 4.1 fWAR in his age-30 season as he clubbed 26 home runs with just a 13.6% strikeout rate.

A great defender with elite plate discipline and bat-to-ball skills, the Yankees might be interested in his services if they end up striking out in the Juan Soto sweepstakes.

Alex Bregman Could Be on the Yankees’ Radar This Winter

Few third basemen have been as steady as Alex Bregman, who logged another quality season at the hot corner for the Houston Astros. In his age-30 season, he remained a solid defender who can provide a nice bat to the middle of a lineup, but there were some concerning trends that could deter teams from handing him the big bucks. His walk rate declined from 12.7% to 6.9% this past season, and there are concerns about how his bat would play at Yankee Stadium.

A hitter who has been reliant on the Crawford Boxes in Minute Maid Park to launch the ball out of the yard, Bregman is a pull-side power hitter who would come over to a ballpark where those flyballs would be outs. Baseball Savant has an Expected Home Run metric that would have Bregman hitting just 25 home runs instead of 26 this season, but previous seasons have shown even more stark differences in actual and expected home run totals.

There’s a real reason to believe that Alex Bregman’s bat wouldn’t translate very well at Yankee Stadium, but there are other reasons why the Yankees would love to have him. His excellent defense at third base is something to note as well, as he has a career 27 Defensive Runs Saved and 22 Outs Above Average in his career at the hot corner. This past season Bregman had both 6 DRS and 6 OAA, which are elite marks that would boost the team’s defensive abilities.

Secondly, Bregman’s career 117 wRC+ and 19 home runs in 99 playoff games would make for an excellent addition to a lineup trying to finally get the job done in October. He’s been on the other side of some painful playoff exits for the Yankees, and perhaps that’s something they value as the team tries to finally bring home a World Series for the first time in nearly two decades.