Per Mark Berman of Fox Houston, and confirmed by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Houston Astros have locked up All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman to a six-year, $100 million contract extension. The deal, which begins this season, covers his three remaining years of arbitration as well as the first two seasons he would have been a free agent. The 24-year-old is now due to hit free agency before his age 30 season.
The 2018 All-Star Game MVP had a breakout 2018 season overall, slashing .286/.394/.532 with 31 home runs, 103 RBIs, an MLB-leading 51 doubles, 157 wRC+, and 7.6 fWAR. He finished 5th in MVP voting and is only getting better offensively, but he’s also versatile in the field, recording innings at second base, third base, shortstop, and left field in 2018. He logged the most innings, 1173.2, at third base, where he logged -6 DRS with a -3.1 UZR (-5.1 UZR/150).
Bregman, who already has a World Series ring, follows other young and talented players who’ve signed extensions, possibly due to fears triggered by recent free agency trends. Mike Trout, Nolan Arenado, Luis Severino, Miles Mikolas, Aaron Nola, Whit Merrifield, and many more have signed contract extensions instead of waiting for free agency. Regardless of the reason, the Astros have a possible MVP under contract for a long time.
