"You're not going to DH Yordan Alvarez and Jose Altuve" - Astros insider raises long-term concerns if Alex Bregman re-signs for $156,000,000

All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman's free agency has a twist as reports have emerged of the two-time World Series winners' reunion with his former team, Houston Astros.

Bregman reportedly turned down a six-year, $156 million contract offer from the Astros to hit free agency but has failed to receive an offer worth around $200 million despite strong interest from the Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox, and Detroit Tigers.

In December, Astros general manager Dana Brown reported that contract negotiations with Bregman's camp were stalled, and Houston pivoted by bringing in third baseman Isaac Paredes in a trade deal that saw Kyle Tucker join the Chicago Cubs.

However, Bregman and his agent, Scott Boras, are still keen on a return to Houston, especially with Spring Training around the corner. But the All-Star third baseman's return would mean positional changes on the diamond, which won't be feasible in the long term per The Athletic's Chandler Rome.

In a conversation with Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney on "North Side Territory," Rome said (18:00 onwards)

"If they bring Alex Bregman back and he's on that six-year deal that's still out there that they offered him, you'll have Bregman for six years, you'll have Jose Altuve through 2029. You'll have Jordan Alvarez through 2028 and you'll have Isaac Paredes for the next three years. So You're probably moving Jose Altuve to left field permanently because this is not something that you can just flip after the season.

""All these guys under control for so long. You can't DH two guys, you're not going to DH Alvarez and Altuve. So it's fascinating. Do they flip Isaac Paredes? Like if they sign Bregman, do they try to find another trade partner and trade Isaac Paredes for the millionth time?"

According to reports, Jose Altuve will be moved from second base to the outfield, potentially left field with left fielder Yordan Alvarez as a DH option. The recently acquired third baseman will be moved to second base to accommodate Bregman's return.

Astros insider reflects on Ryan Pressly's potential trade implications on Alex Bregman

After a couple of quiet weeks, Alex Bregman's free agency is heating up as the Astros are reportedly willing to trade All-Star closer Ryan Pressly to the Chicago Cubs to clear the payroll.

The two-time All-Star reliever is reportedly set to earn $14 million in 2025. However, Pressly waived his no-trade clause on Sunday to set things in motion for a potential trade to Chicago with the Cubs reportedly $8.5 million of his salary.

While several reports claim that Pressly's trade is to facilitate a deal for Bregman, Chandler Rome clarified that the Astros have been looking to trade the veteran closer since the offseason began, and it's only a coincidence that Pressly's potential trade is at the time when Bregman's free agency is reaching its climax.