Houston’s early playoff exit means Alex Bregman and Justin Verlander may have played their final games with the Astros.
The Detroit Tigers eliminated the AL West champions in their Wild Card series, defeating them 5-2 in Game 2 on Wednesday. Houston has made seven consecutive AL Championship Series appearances, winning two of them.
Bregman and Verlander have been key players for the Astros, but their futures remain uncertain following the team’s swift departure in October.
Bregman, 30, can become a free agent after spending the previous nine seasons as Houston’s third baseman. The Astros selected him as the second overall pick in the 2015 amateur draft.
Verlander, 41, is also expected to enter free agency after failing to reach the 140 innings required to activate a $35 million player option in his contract.
An emotional Bregman stated after the game that he had not had time to reflect on the loss or his future.
“I was planning on being here tomorrow,” he told me. “So I’ll just let Scott (agent Scott Boras) and them deal with it this offseason.” I haven’t truly considered it.”
Bregman is a two-time All-Star and received the Silver Slugger Award in 2019. This season, he batted.260 with 26 home runs and 75 RBIs.
While he tried not to think ahead on Wednesday, he did pause to reflect on his time with the Astros.
“I came here when I was 21 years old,” he told me. “I made my debut against the Yankees and have appeared in the ALCS every year until this one. It’s been a great time, and I’m grateful for every moment. And it has been an honor to be here, and I certainly do not take that for granted.”
When asked about his future plans, he expressed hope of returning. Teammate Jose Altuve was far more direct about wanting Bregman to stay with the squad.
“I’m pretty confident that he’s going to be our third baseman next year,” he said. “We need to have him. We won’t be the same organization without him. In my opinion, there’s not a chance that this is the last game.”
Altuve stated that he will speak with team owner Jim Crane about re-signing Bregman. In recent years, Altuve has watched longtime teammates such as George Springer and Carlos Correa leave as free agents.
Altuve expressed that he would be “heartbroken” if Bregman left.
Verlander appears unlikely to return to a squad full of young starting pitchers. This season, the three-time Cy Young Award winner battled ailments and finished 5-6 with a 5.48 ERA in 17 starts.
He lost two months this summer owing to a neck issue and claimed he never felt totally recovered. He recorded a 9.26 ERA in five September outings and was not added to the postseason squad.
“Kind of a weird injury in the neck and tried as best I could to get out there and be an asset to help this team in October,” he informed us.
“But wasn’t able to do it, obviously wasn’t pitching well enough to be part of this series.” However, the right-handed pitcher believes he “has a lot more to give” next season and in the future.
“I definitely feel like I want to continue to pitch and compete and I’m not ready to step away yet,” according to him.
Verlander reflected on his career with the Astros, which includes helping them win World Series championships in 2017 and 2022. This was his second stint with Houston, having returned in a trade with the New York Mets in July.
“There’s a lot of moments that stick out, there’s some great ones in there as well,” he told me. “But more importantly, I believe the mood is something that stands out to me here. Just inside and outside of the locker room.
