HOUSTON ¨C No one¡¯s words carry more weight in the Astros¡¯ clubhouse than second baseman Jose Altuve, the 14-year veteran who is Houston¡¯s unequivocal leader.

Facing the reality of losing another cornerstone player, Altuve said following Wednesday¡¯s 5-2 elimination loss to the Tigers in Game 2 of the American League Wild Card Series at Minute Maid Park that the organization needs to find a way to re-sign third baseman Alex Bregman, who¡¯s set to be a free agent.

Altuve said he would be ¡°heartbroken¡± if Bregman wasn¡¯t back next year.

¡°I don¡¯t want to think about my last game with Breggy,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m pretty confident he¡¯s going to be our third baseman next year. We have to. We¡¯re not going to be the same organization without him. In my mind, there¡¯s not a chance this is the last game.¡±

That sentiment was echoed in other corners of the clubhouse, where Bregman¡¯s teammates lauded his leadership and what he has meant to the Astros. Bregman was the only player who spoke to the team after Wednesday¡¯s loss, commending his teammates for their resiliency.

¡°One of the most impressive baseball minds, competitors I¡¯ve been around in this game,¡± pitcher Justin Verlander said. ¡°Just the ultimate teammate. He sees everything, he¡¯s always doing whatever he can to help everybody around him get better. ¡­ Honestly, can¡¯t say enough great things about him.¡±

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Taken by the Astros with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 MLB Draft out of LSU, Bregman made his Major League debut a year later and advanced to the AL Championship Series in each of his seven full seasons. That streak ended this year, with Bregman set to hit the market as one of the top free agents available.

¡°Since the day he got here, the whole organization changed in a better direction,¡± Altuve said. ¡°He made this team way better. Like I said, there is hopefully a big chance for him to stay here, and not only that, but retire here.¡±

On the Astros' all-time hitting charts, Bregman ranks sixth in homers (191), seventh in doubles (265), eighth in runs (694), ninth in RBIs (663) and 11th in hits (1,132). His 19 career postseason homers are tied for the sixth most.

¡°I came here when I was 21 years old, made my debut against the Yankees and been to the ALCS every year except this one,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s been a fun time, and I¡¯ve cherished every second of that. It¡¯s been an honor to be here, and I definitely don¡¯t take it for granted.¡±

Those close to Bregman say he wants to remain in Houston, which is where his wife is from. Astros general manager Dana Brown said he plans to talk to Bregman¡¯s agent, Scott Boras, after the season to discuss an extension.

¡°I hope so,¡± said Bregman when asked if he¡¯d like to be back. ¡°We¡¯ll see what happens. I¡¯m going to let Scott and the team handle that. Obviously, it¡¯s free agency, and I¡¯ve never really experienced that before.¡±

Altuve -- who signed a five-year, $125 million contract extension prior to this season, ensuring he¡¯ll finish his career in Houston -- has seen the Astros lose star players George Springer, Carlos Correa and Gerrit Cole in free agency in recent years. The team has continued to win, though, filling those losses largely with homegrown players.

¡°I¡¯m confident that Breggy is going to stay here,¡± he said. ¡°He¡¯s a leader. He¡¯s probably one of the best players in franchise history.¡±