Houston’s early exit from the playoffs means that Alex Bregman and Justin Verlander may have played their final games with the Astros.
The AL West champions were eliminated by the Detroit Tigers in their Wild Card series, losing 5-2 in Game 2 on Wednesday. Houston had reached the AL Championship Series seven times in a row, winning two titles during that span.
Bregman and Verlander have been important players for the Astros, but their futures are uncertain after the team’s quick exit in October.
Bregman, 30, can become a free agent after spending the last nine seasons as Houston’s third baseman. He was picked by the Astros as the No. 2 choice in the 2015 amateur draft.
Verlander, who is 41, is also likely headed for free agency after not reaching the 140 innings he needed to activate a $35 million player option in his contract.
An emotional Bregman mentioned after the game that he hadn’t had time to think about the loss or his future.
“I was planning on being here tomorrow,” he said. “So, I’ll just let Scott (agent Scott Boras) and them handle that this offseason. I haven’t even really thought about it.”
Bregman is a two-time All-Star and won a Silver Slugger Award in 2019. This season, he had a batting average of .260 with 26 home runs and 75 RBIs.
While he tried not to think ahead on Wednesday, he did take a moment to reflect on his time with the Astros.
“I came here when I was 21 years old,” he said. “I made my debut against the Yankees and have been to the ALCS every year except for this one. It’s been a fun time, and I cherish every second of it. And it’s been an honor to be here, and I definitely don’t take it for granted.”
When asked about his future, he expressed hope to come back. Teammate Jose Altuve was much more direct about wanting Bregman to stay with the team.
“I’m pretty confident that he’s going to be our third baseman next year,” Altuve said. “We have to have him. We’re not going to be the same organization without him. In my mind, there’s not a chance that this is the last game.”
Altuve mentioned that he would talk to team owner Jim Crane about re-signing Bregman. In recent years, Altuve has seen longtime teammates like George Springer and Carlos Correa leave when they became free agents.
Altuve said he would be “heartbroken” if Bregman left.
As for Verlander, it seems unlikely he will return to a team filled with young starting pitchers. The three-time Cy Young Award winner faced injuries this season, ending with a record of 5-6 and a 5.48 ERA in 17 starts.
He missed two months this summer due to a neck injury and said he never felt fully right after coming back. He had a 9.26 ERA in five September starts and was not included on the postseason roster.
“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 said.
“But wasn’t able to do it, obviously wasn’t pitching well enough to be part of this series.” However, the right-hander feels 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,” he said.
Verlander reflected on his time with the Astros, which included helping the team win World Series titles in 2017 and 2022. This was his second time with Houston after returning in a trade with the New York Mets last July.
“There’s a lot of moments that stick out, there’s some great ones in there as well,” he said. “But just more, I think the vibe is something that sticks out to me here. Just in the locker room and outside of it.”
