With Bregman weighing his options, the Astros could look to target a less expensive player in Polanco who is coming off knee surgery.

By helping the Astros unload the contract, the Tigers might have hurt their own chances to sign third baseman Alex Bregman, the top free-agent hitter still on the market. The Pressly trade has only fueled speculation that the Astros are positioning their payroll for a last-ditch effort to retain their fan-favorite star.

Increasingly, signs point to the possibility of the Houston Astros bringing back free-agent infielder (and Astros lifer) Alex Bregman. The club cleared some payroll space by reportedly agreeing to trade reliever Ryan Pressly to the Chicago Cubs,

The trade of Ryan Pressly and Jose Altuve’s willingness to move from second base to left field has renewed hope that the Houston Astros may be able to re-sign Alex Bregman. That’s a huge change from just five weeks ago when general manager Dana Brown termed the negotiations with the free agent third baseman as “stalled” and appeared to close the door on a possible reunion.

The Detroit Tigers reportedly have competition from the Houston Astros, Alex Bregman's former team, in the pursuit for the free agent third baseman.

According to a source, Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman has very low odds of re-signing with the Houston MLB team after 9 seasons.

The Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros are reportedly "finalizing" a deal that will send closer Ryan Pressly to Chicago "pending medical review," per ESPN's

If Bregman is back in Houston, team sources indicated he would play third base in place of Isaac Paredes, whom the Astros acquired as part of the three-player package for Tucker. In that scenario, both Paredes and Altuve could face a position change.

The Houston Astros are back in the running for Alex Bregman, but they will have to contend with a couple other teams in need of help at third base.

That, tidily enough, brings us to Astros lifer Alex Bregman, who remains on the free-agent market. Bregman is of interest to the Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, and perhaps Toront

The Houston Astros reached a tentative agreement to trade Ryan Pressly to the Chicago Cubs, clearing the way for Alex Bregman to return to the Astros.