Astros third baseman spoke to reporters, including , this afternoon and revealed that his camp has not yet received an extension offer from the Astros and that he does not expect to receive one before Opening Day this week. Bregman made clear, however, that he would be willing to negotiate during the season if the club were to approach him with an offer. That Houston hasnt made an offer to Bregman at this point is something of a surprise, given from both club owner Jim Crane and GM Dana Brown earlier this winter indicated that the club has every intention of making Bregman an offer before he hits free agency this November. That Bregman is willing to negotiate in-season keeps the door to the sides making progre s on extension talks at some point this season open, though Spring Training is generally regarded by both players and club officials as the ideal time for contract negotiations, lest they become a distraction during the season. Brown has long been candid about his desire Hector Neris Jersey to lock up the clubs core players long term, and since then has succe sfully extended the contracts of both right-hander and, more recently, second baseman and franchise face . The club reportedly explored extensions with both southpaw and outfielder last offseason along with Javier, though those talks ultimately did not result in a deal. This winter, club officials have outwardly interest in retaining Bregman long-term in their public comments, with Brown even last month that the club plans to reopen negotiations with Tucker but will likely prioritize Bregman for the time being. Despite those comments indicating the club hopes to retain Bregman long term, the club appeared to prioritize extending Altuve over Bregman this winter with that the Astros were skeptical of their chances regarding a deal with Bregman. Cranes comments on the matter earlier this winter even acknowledged this, as the owner admitted that Bregmans age makes him a little different circumstance to Altuve, who would have hit free agency prior to his age-35 season in contrast to Bregman, who will play the 2025 season at just 31 years old. If the Astros are concerned about theyre ability to make an offer Bregman would consider accepting, theyre somewhat justified in their concerns. Third basemen of a similar caliber to Bregman have routinely found offers north of $200MM either in free agency or via extensions, as demonstrated by deals inked by players such as , , and . By contrast, s seven-year $175MM pact with the Rangers during the 2021-22 offseason is the high-water mark for second basemen in free agency. That wasnt far off from where they were ultimately willing to go for Altuve, who signed a last month. Even if Bregman was willing to accept a deal with a similar AAV to Altuves recent extension, the disparity between their respective ages presents another hurdle. Six-plus year deals for infielders in their early thirties have become commonplace in recent years, as demonstrated by pacts such as those signed by Semien, Rendon, , and even D.J. LeMahieu in recent years. It would hardly be a shock if Bregman was looking for a similar length, and the six-year, $115MM extension the club signed to represents the only pact longer than five years in franchise history. A six- or seven-year deal worth $25MM or more, as Bregman might require to forgo free agency, would be a major departure from the clubs previous way of doing busine s. On the other hand, the club figures to see more than $100MM come off the books during the coming winter, per . Much of that money figures to go to arbitration-level players such as Tucker and Valdez, both of whom are set to earn eight-figure salaries in their final trip through arbitration next year, though even after accounting for that its certainly feasible the club could afford to offer Bregman a hefty deal. Its also worth noting that Houston has expre sed a new willingne s to flex their financial muscle this winter. The club is set to pay into the luxury tax for the first time in franchise history this year, and the clubs five-year deal with ace closer is the sort of top-of-the-market expenditure the club has tended to shy away from under Cranes ownership. If these changes are a sign of a new approach, rather than an all-in effort to contend while the clubs current core remain under control, its certainly feasible that the club could work out a deal to retain Bregman at some point, whether that be during the season or after he hits free agency in the fall. Jon Singleton Jersey