Alex Bremgan got off to an ice-cold start in his contract season for the Houston Astros, hitting just .216 in the first month of the season. However, the two-time All-Star rebounded to have a strong contract year, homering 26 times, driving in 75 runs and posting a 4.1 WAR, per FanGraphs.

Bregman looked like a Hall of Fame-caliber player when he swatted 41 home runs, walked 119 times and posted a 1.015 OPS in 2019, finishing runner-up to Mike Trout in AL MVP voting.

While Bregman hasn't proven to be quite that good, there's still a lot to like about the Scott Boras client as he prepares for his first stint in free agency.

In each of the last three seasons, Bregman has played 145 or more games. Over that period, he's averaged 25 home runs and 89 RBI, while posting a .798 OPS. He's graded out well defensively, with 11 defensive runs saved and seven outs above average at the hot corner. Bregman is also a very accomplished postseason hitter, as his 19 career October home runs are sixth in MLB history.

The Astros will surely extend a one-year, $21.05 million qualifying offer to Bregman this offseason, which the 30-year-old will swiftly decline. That does mean, though, that Houston will collect draft compensation if he leaves in free agency. Also, any signing team other than the Astros would have to surrender draft-pick compensation to land him.

With all that acknowledged, here are seven potential landing spots for the two-time Silver Slugger Award winner.

7. Philadelphia Phillies

Three years after helping the Astros to defeat the Phillies in the World Series, could Bregman really put on the red pinstripes?

It seems unlikely, although Alec Bohm was benched during Game 2 of the NLDS and had a messy finish to a season in which he was an All-Star. The most likely scenario is that Bohm—who has two remaining years of arbitration eligibility—is back at third base for the Phillies in 2025. In that case, the Phillies would be out on Bregman.

However, if the Phillies moved Bohm for another area of need, they would have a hole at third base. Managing partner John Middleton and president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski have made quite a few deals with Boras previously, and an aggressive move can't be ruled out after a disappointing postseason exit.

Again, though, Bohm is 28 and under team control for two more years. Are the Phillies going to throw him overboard and add another expensive player in their early 30s? There's a non-zero chance of Bregman joining the Phillies, but it seems unlikely.

6. Los Angeles Dodgers

Admittedly, it would be strange for Bregman to join the Dodgers given that he and the Astros defeated Los Angeles in the 2017 World Series, a title that's since been tainted in the eyes of many because of the sign-stealing scandal.

President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman isn't afraid to make a major move, though, and there are so few members of the 2017 Dodgers remaining on the team that this isn't impossible. Bregman at third base would give the Dodgers a hell of a corner infield duo with Freddie Freeman at first base—not to mention the potency of those two in a lineup that also includes Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Will Smith.

Could the Dodgers sign Bregman and then trade Max Muncy—who has a $12 million club option that will likely be exercised—to a team where he could play first base and/or DH more frequently? It's not impossible.

What seems more plausible, though, is that if the Dodgers are going to spend big on a veteran right-handed hitter in free agency this year, they'll use that money to bring back Teoscar Hernández.

5. New York Yankees

Like with the Dodgers, there would be some baggage to overcome here. Bregman and the 2017 Astros defeated the Yankees in a seven-game ALCS en route to winning the World Series. Right or wrong, the perception is they cheated the Yankees out of a chance to play in the Fall Classic. There's nowhere that the Astros have been booed louder than Yankee Stadium.

If some bridges could be rebuilt, though, Bregman would fit really well at third base for the Yankees in 2025. Jazz Chisholm Jr. could then shift back to second base, with the Yankees presumably allowing Gleyber Torres to depart in free agency.

It does feel unlikely, though, that the Yankees would give Bregman a contract in excess of $100 million in free agency if they re-sign Juan Soto to a pact likely to exceed $500 million. If a team like the San Francisco Giants or New York Mets lures Soto away from the Yankees, then perhaps pivoting to Bregman would be in play. We wouldn't bet on that scenario playing out.

4. Seattle Mariners

If all things are equal, you'll be hard-pressed to find a free-agent hitter that's going to choose to play their home games at T-Mobile Park—arguably the most pitcher-friendly park in the sport.

But if there's a team that might be desperate enough for offense to blow Bregman out of the water in free agency, it might be president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto and the Mariners.

Despite having arguably the best starting pitching staff in baseball, the Mariners missed the postseason in 2024 because of an anemic offense that finished 21st in runs scored. They did acquire Randy Arozarena during the season, but that alone isn't close to enough to overhaul this offseason. They probably need to make multiple additions to the starting lineup this winter.

If the Mariners are willing to give Bregman hazard pay to A) get him to accept playing 81 games a year at T-Mobile Park and B) leave a divisional rival, it would be interesting to see if his interest would be piqued.

3. Kansas City Royals

The Royals made the postseason for the first time since 2015 but were too reliant on the duo of Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez. General manager J.J. Picollo needs to give manager Matt Quatraro another big bat in the lineup.

Whether ownership in Kansas City would authorize the front office to give Bregman a deal worth more than $100 million is unclear. Though it looks extremely team-friendly, Witt is signed to a $288 million deal. Ace Cole Ragans is going to get more expensive when he becomes arbitration-eligible for the first time in 2026. These are all considerations.

At the same time, the Royals might need to push themselves out of their financial comfort zone to maximize the peaks of Witt and Ragans while trying to get Perez, a franchise icon, a second World Series title. Bregman would be a tremendous fit if the Royals are willing to do that.

2. Detroit Tigers

After upsetting the Astros in the NLDS, could the Tigers end Bregman's time in Houston once and for all by signing him in free agency?

There's the natural connection to manager A.J. Hinch, who won a lot of games from 2016-2019 with Bregman as a key part of his lineup in Houston. That same connection was made when Carlos Correa was a free agent after 2021, but the Tigers weren't ultimately willing to meet his asking price.

This time around could be different, though. Detroit has been reminded of how great the postseason feels. While there are some building blocks in the lineup with Kerry Carpenter and Riley Greene, the Tigers need to add more prowess to the lineup if they are going to emerge from a suddenly crowded AL Central as division champions next season.

Bregman would give them that at third base and free up super-utility man Matt Vierling to spend the bulk of his time in right field.

1. Houston Astros

The Astros have certainly spent under owner Jim Crane, but they've done so largely on their terms. They've paid to keep Jose Altuve and Yordan Álvarez, but on team-friendly pacts. Players like Correa, George Springer, Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander who looked to maximize their earnings were allowed to leave in free agency.

Bregman is unquestionably a franchise icon in Houston, and in addition to Altuve vouching for him, general manager Dana Brown seemed hopeful when asked about Bregman's future late in the season.

"I think it'll work out," Brown said. "When you get down to it, I think he wants to stay here. I think we want him to stay here. And it's just a matter of coming up with some type of an agreement."

When you factor in that the Astros would be the only team that doesn't need to give up draft-pick compensation to sign Bregman once he declines the qualifying offer, they are definitely the favorites.

It will be interesting if the Astros do re-sign Bregman to see what that means for Kyle Tucker and Framber Valdez, both of whom can become free agents after the 2025 season.