If there were any question of whether the Houston Astros would make a serious attempt to re-sign Alex Bregman this offseason, general manager Dana Brown attempted Tuesday to quash it. “Our biggest priority is third base,

Astros third baseman Alex Bregman has hit free agency and general manager Dana Brown has an update on their conversations.

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.

The Houston Astros extended a one-year qualifying offer Monday to Alex Bregman, a formality as the third baseman begins his first foray into free agency. The qualifying offer is worth $21.05 million for 2025.

In the clubhouse, Bregman is considered to be one of the Astros’ vocal leaders, and a baseball genius. Many pitchers credit Bregman with helping them make tweaks due to the extra research he does, while Bregman’s obsession with hitting mechanics have helped his teammates work on their own swings.

The Astros making Alex Bregman a qualifying offer is nothing more than a formality as the teams will be able to continue to negotiate.

Astros GM Dana Brown spoke with the media at the GM Meetings in San Antonio and addressed a number of topics, including where the team is with negotiations with free agent third baseman Alex Bregman.