The trade of Ryan Pressly and Jose Altuve’s willingness to move from second base to left field has renewed hope that the Houston Astros may be able to re-sign Alex Bregman. That’s a huge change from just five weeks ago when general manager Dana Brown termed the negotiations with the free agent third baseman as “stalled” and appeared to close the door on a possible reunion.

By helping the Astros unload the contract, the Tigers might have hurt their own chances to sign third baseman Alex Bregman, the top free-agent hitter still on the market. The Pressly trade has only fueled speculation that the Astros are positioning their payroll for a last-ditch effort to retain their fan-favorite star.