Bregman (elbow) rejected the Astros' one-year, $21.05 million qualifying offer Tuesday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
It's a no-brainer, as Bregman is one of the more sought-after free agents this offseason. He and the Astros are interested in a reunion, and his rejection of the qualifying offer does not impact the odds of that happening. If Bregman does sign elsewhere, Houston will get a draft pick. The third baseman had surgery recently to remove a bone spur from his right elbow but is expected to be 100 percent for spring training.
Bregman's (elbow) agent, Scott Boras, said Wednesday that his client is willing to move to second base for a team that signs him in free agency, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.
Bregman just won his first-ever Gold Glove at third base and has made only two career starts at second base, with the most recent of those coming back in 2018. However, the 30-year-old is willing to consider a shift to the keystone in the right situation. Bregman is recovering from surgery to remove a bone spur from his right elbow but is expected to be fully recovered by spring training.
Bregman's agent, Scott Boras, revealed Wednesday that his client recently underwent surgery to remove a bone spur from his right elbow, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
The elbow gave Bregman trouble for much of the second half, keeping him out of some games and limiting him to designated hitter duties in others. The good news is that he's expected to resume hitting in a few weeks, per Boras, and should be 100 percent well ahead of spring training. A free agent, Bregman slashed .260/.315/.453 with 26 home runs and won his first Gold Glove in 2024.
Houston extended a qualifying offer to Bregman on Monday.
Bregman will have until Nov. 19 to accept or reject the qualifying offer, but it's more likely that the 30-year-old third baseman will decline the offer and enter free agency. Bregman was named as a finalist for Silver Slugger Award for his 2024 regular-season performance, during which he slashed .260/.315/.453 with 30 doubles, 26 home runs and 75 RBI across 634 plate appearances.
