Former Houston Astros Star Could Become Key Addition for New York Mets

A star free agent from the Houston Astros could fill a void for the New York Mets.

It has been a very busy offseason for the Houston Astros with plenty of new faces coming in and some old faces either leaving or expected to depart.

After losing to the Detroit Tigers in the American League Wild Card round, there was always the possibility the team was going to look different heading into 2025.

That is certainly going to be the case with Yusei Kikuchi, Justin Verlander, and Kyle Tucker all already on new teams.

The decision to trade Tucker was a surprising one for the franchise. After seeing the money that Juan Soto received in free agency, Houston decided to move their star outfielder before losing him in free agency next winter.

In addition to Tucker now playing for the Chicago Cubs, it seems like Alex Bregman will also be playing for a new team next season.

The Astros received Isaac Paredes and Cam Smith in return for Tucker, and with both of those players being third basemen, the writing is on the wall for Bregman’s future in Houston.

Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report recently spoke about Bregman being a perfect fit to fill a need for the New York Mets after talks with Pete Alonso seemingly going in the wrong direction.

“With reports that the Mets are pivoting away from re-signing Pete Alonso following the addition of Jesse Winker, the question remains who will play first base in 2025. The club could shift Mark Vientos across the diamond, which would open up the potential for an addition at third base, with Bregman representing the top remaining bat on the market aside from Alonso.”

While Bregman isn’t a first baseman, the Mets do have Mark Vientos prepared to make the flip back over to his natural position.

This very well could be a better option for New York, as Bregman can provide a better glove and is a better overall hitter than Alonso.

For the Astros, losing their star third baseman will be a tough pill to swallow, however, due to him having such a great career with the team, he likely priced himself out of Houston’s market.

With Tucker gone and Bregman likely on the way out, it will be interesting to see how the Astros perform next season.

They still have one of the best starting rotations in the American League led by Framber Valdez and some talented young arms. The lineup is still going to be a work in progress, but the addition of Christian Walker will help improve their production at first base, which was a major issue in 2024.

If Houston can add a quality outfielder or two, they should still be able to compete, but their title window might have closed for the time being with two stars leaving town.