There is a real possibility that star third baseman Alex Bregman has played his final game for the Houston Astros. He appeared to admit as much on Wednesday after the team was eliminated from the postseason following its wild-card round loss to the Detroit Tigers.

Bregman will hit the open market as a free agent for the first time in his career this offseason after failing to agree to a new contract with the team. After the team’s season loss, he sent a short message to Astros fans on social media.

“Thank you Houston,” Bregman wrote, keeping his message short but sweet.

It’s not certain Bregman will leave Houston in the offseason. After the loss, he admitted that he hoped to be back in an Astros uniform in 2025 and beyond.

“I hope so, but we’ll see what happens,” Bregman told reporters. “I’ll leave that up to me (agent Scott Boras) and the team. Obviously it’s free agency and I’ve never experienced that before. I’ll let him and all the teams sort it out.”

Longtime teammate Jose Altuve was more direct in his assessment of Bregman’s future.

“I don’t want to think about the last game with Breggy,” Altuve said. “I’m pretty confident he’ll be our third baseman next year. We have to. We won’t be the same organization without him.”

Bregman, a two-time All-Star, has been the Astros’ third baseman since his debut in 2016. He won two World Series with the organization and served as the franchise’s cornerstone during his tenure.

In 2024, he slashed .260/.315/.453 with 26 home runs, 75 RBIs and 151 hits while posting a WAR of 4.1. His future is uncertain, but it is clear that members of the organization, as well as fans, would be overjoyed to see him return.