"He is as much the face of the franchise" - MLB analyst draws parallels between Astros stars Alex Bregman & Jose Altuve

Alex Bregman has played with the Houston Astros for his entire career but will be heading to free agency after the 2024 season.

The Astros are yet to make Bregman an official offer. The fact that they haven't locked down Alex Bregman to an extension already is surprising to a few. Among them is MLB analyst Jim Bowden, who shared his thoughts on the matter in his latest appearance on MLB Network Radio.

Bowden believes that Alex Bregman is just as deserving of a contract extension as Altuve, who recently agreed to a five-year, $125 million extension.

“Bregman, I don’t want to see him leave because he’s involved like Altuve. He loves Houston," Bowden said. "His involvement and his wife’s involvement in the community and charity work in Houston has just been amazing. I think he is as much of a face of the franchise as Altuve is."

"And I think he means just as much or more in the clubhouse. I think, if you’re going to take care of Altuve, you got to take care of Bregman as well. I know it’s going to be more of a challenge,” he added.

Just like Bregman, Jose Altuve was due to enter free agency after 2024. However, Altuve was handed a five-year extension. This effectively means that Altuve is going to spend the remainder of his playing career in Houston. Altuve’s renewal means that the Astros can now focus on extending Bregman.

Looking back at Alex Bregman’s career with the Astros

The Houston Astros selected Alex Bregman as the second overall pick in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft. He has since gone on to establish himself as a cornerstone of the franchise.

Bregman played a crucial role when the Astros won the 2017 World Series. He finished his first postseason with four home runs and 10 RBIs.

In 2019, he finished second in the American League MVP vote. He has been named to two All-Star teams and has won two Silver Slugger awards.

Alex Bregman’s future still hangs in the balance. Should he extend his contract, he will likely be expecting a contract in the same region as Altuve’s $150 million deal.

The Astros’ performance during the 2024 season is also likely to factor into the club’s stance on Bregman. Should he have an MVP-calibre season, the Astros will have no choice but to do whatever it takes to keep him at the club.