GM Brown: Astros moving on from Bregman after stalled negotiations

The Houston Astros have closed the book on a reunion with Alex Bregman after trading for Isaac Paredes and signing Christian Walker.

"The way I view it right now is Paredes is going to play third base, Walker is going to play first base, and Bregman is still a free agent," general manager Dana Brown said Monday, according to Kristie Rieken of the Associated Press.

Brown added that negotiations stalling between Bregman and the Astros forced him to pivot.

"I thought we made a really competitive offer, showing that we wanted him back," he said. "But we had to pursue other options. We couldn't just sit there.

"We locked in Paredes early in that trade, knowing that he could play third or first, and then when the opportunity to add another bat came up, we just jumped on it.”

Brown didn't say whether the Astros upped their final bid from the reported six-year, $156-million pact they apparently offered him earlier in the offseason.

"I think the team understands that we made him a competitive offer," Brown said, according to The Athletic's Chandler Rome.

"I really think the guys understand that. I think the guys in that clubhouse understand that, look, this is a business as well. We worked to be competitive. We owe it to the team to pursue other options when things stall. We feel like we're still a really good team with these additions this offseason."

Bregman is still unsigned. He won two World Series titles during nine seasons with the Astros. Bregman made two All-Star appearances, won a Gold Glove, and was the 2019 AL MVP runner-up.

The 30-year-old ranks fifth in Astros franchise history for career OPS (.849), sixth in home runs (191), and seventh in doubles (265).

Bregman has been connected to several teams throughout the offseason, including the Detroit Tigers. He's coming off a strong campaign during which he accrued 4.1 fWAR while hitting 26 home runs.

His next deal could exceed $200 million depending on the term.