Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but the Houston Astros and Alex Bregman are in deep talks about a possible reunion. Though acrimonious at times, there is hope that the Astros and Bregman may reach an agreement on a new contract that will bring the third baseman back to Space City in 2025.

However, the early enthusiasm for that hope is soon dissipating. Each day that passes without a new contract raises doubts among Astros fans. While Scott Boras’ attention is clearly focused on Juan Soto’s discussions right now, there is growing concern that a deal between Bregman and the Astros may not be completed.

And Astros fans aren’t the only ones who feel it. ESPN recently polled 18 MLB executives about a variety of offseason topics, and of course Bregman’s name came up. Of the 18 surveyed, only seven believe that Bregman will return to Houston.

MLB EXECUTIVE SUGGESTS BREGMAN’S INTANGIBLES WILL PUSH HIM AWAY FROM ASTROS
So if you’re keeping score at home, that means that 61% of the executives believe that Bregman will flee H-Town for another team this offseason.

While several MLB insiders have suggested that a deal between Bregman and the Astros seems like a forgone conclusion, it would appear that a number of front office execs disagree. The reason, however, might come as a surprise.

One executive was quoted as saying, “Other teams need his bat and battle-tested vet presence more than Houston does.” That’s a bold statement, and one that might offer some insight to something that other clubs value. But how do measure intangibles? Quite frankly, you can’t.

It’s tough to put a number on traits like leadership, communication, and playoff experience, but it would seem that other organizations are planning to do just that. Though fans and front office folks alike oftentimes focus so much on slash line, exit velocities, and other stats and metrics, there’s something to be said for those things that cannot be measured.

As the anonymous executive revealed, the Astros’ team has plenty of players who bring those intangibles to the ballpark on a regular basis. Players like Jose Altuve, Yordan Álvarez, and Kyle Tucker come to mind. Tthe Astros would struggle to replace Bregman’s bat, but it might bring some level of comfort knowing that other Houston players can at least provide those intangibles.