SAN ANTONIO, Texas — It is Dana Brown’s turn to take part in a time-honored tradition. His two predecessors piloted the Houston Astros through similar situations by sharing strong sentiments that rang hollow when the team said goodbye to superstars it refused to retain.
The precedent portends Alex Bregman playing elsewhere next season. Shattering it would be Brown’s biggest victory in two and a half seasons as Houston’s general manager, pleasing both Jose Altuve and the plethora of fans who’ve already made peace with Bregman’s departure.
“We’d love to have Alex Bregman back,” Brown said. “It’s our biggest priority.”
Brown called Bregman a “priority” four more times during a 40-minute meeting with reporters on Tuesday at the general managers’ meetings. The same rhetoric surrounded the sweepstakes for George Springer and Carlos Correa, diminishing the comment’s meaning even though there’s a new man in charge.
Brown is perpetually overflowing with optimism. Expecting anything less on Tuesday felt foolish, but the urgency with which he spoke struck a different tone than so many of his prior public comments. Asked to ponder the team’s contingency plans if Bregman does leave, Brown sounded like someone who hasn’t considered the possibility.
“Our mindset right now is that he’s not going elsewhere and we want to sign him,” Brown said. “If he ends up going elsewhere, we’ll cross that bridge when we get there, but I’m going into this offseason with the thought that we’re going to get Bregman back. Hopefully we can do it.”
Hope is not a plan, especially when Scott Boras is involved. Boras is expected to conduct his annual state of the game address on Wednesday, during which more about Houston’s pursuit may be revealed.
Brown described a series of “productive” conversations with Boras during the five-day exclusive negotiating window, but declined to confirm if the Astros have made a formal offer. Are the two sides anywhere close in the figures that have been talked about?
“I would characterize it as optimistic conversations,” Brown replied. “Bregman’s been a pillar here. Scott is willing to listen and we had really good, productive conversations.”
Brown is not going to reveal every offer. Correa did during his free agency, but he is the exception to every standard. Few will mistake Brown for buttoned up, but he strolled into this spacious hotel ballroom with a script he stuck to. “Productive conversations” were talked about nine different times before a reporter wondered what those entailed.
“Productive means that you’re having reasonable conversations that are going back and forth. You’re not hanging up the phone on each other. You’re not yelling, you’re not raising your voice. You’re having conversations back and forth about the future of the player,” Brown said.
“Those are productive conversations. When it gets to the point where it’s a shouting match and you’re slamming the phone on each other, that’s not so productive.”
Owner Jim Crane is “going to be involved in all these negotiations in terms of us keeping him in the loop,” Brown said. Crane is far more involved in baseball operations decisions than most in his position, but contracts of this magnitude always involve ownership input.
Never has Crane given a free-agent contract longer than five seasons, nor has he guaranteed any player more than $151 million. Matt Chapman’s six-year, $151 million contract extension with the San Francisco Giants is seen as the floor for Bregman’s negotiations. The Athletic’s Tim Britton projected a seven-year, $189 million deal.
Whether Brown can convince Crane to change some of his philosophies is perhaps the biggest mystery in Bregman’s negotiations. That Brown already persuaded Crane to eat $45 million by cutting ties with José Abreu and Rafael Montero signals the influence he holds.
Crane also gave the biggest free-agent deal of his ownership tenure during Brown’s regime. He will pay the luxury tax for the first time, too. A barren farm system may mean a shift toward more free-agent spending is already in progress.
“Jim has been totally committed to us putting a championship club out on the field,” Brown said. “I haven’t felt one bit that Jim is not willing to spend money. He’s shown it. Last year, we were over (the competitive balance tax). This year, we’re just about under. I think Jim will do whatever it takes to put a competitive team on the field.”
Brown did acknowledge “I don’t think we’re going to be in the business of giving multiple seven-year deals or multiple eight-year deals,” words Kyle Tucker’s representatives may recoil in reading. Tucker will turn 28 in January and is entering his final season under club control.
“I think if it makes sense for the club, Jim will allow us to do it and we’ll welcome it,” Brown said. “But it has to make sense.”
Retaining Bregman makes too much sense. He is part of the franchise’s fabric and iw as important inside the clubhouse as he is on the field. Altuve’s adamance to retain Bregman only adds more urgency to Brown’s winter.
If third base really is Brown’s “biggest priority,” no one better is available on the free-agent market. Exploring a trade for Nolan Arenado is a possibility, but how would Houston and its abysmal farm system fare in a bidding war?
After the Astros orchestrated a sendoff for Bregman during their final regular-season home game, Shay Whitcomb entered the game and committed four errors in five innings at third base.
Whitcomb is the closest thing Houston has to an heir apparent if Bregman does leave. Corner infield prospect Zach Dezenzo’s future is at first base or left field. Brown even hinted at Dezenzo competing for the club’s everyday first base job. Brown explained Dezenzo has “got a little more work to do at third base” before stopping himself.
“Can he get it done? Yes,” Brown said. “But if we have Bregman, it will be tough for him to get reps there.”
“Depending on what happens with Bregman, he may get a chance to play some third base, although Bregman would be the priority.”
(Top photo of Alex Bregman: Alex Slitz / Getty Images)
