The Detroit Tigers head into the offseason linked once again to one of the top free agents available after missing out on him last year, but they aren’t going to let it deter them this time around.
A year ago, now Boston Red Sox star third baseman Alex Bregman turned down an offer from the Tigers which would have paid him roughly $170 million over six years in favor of a $40 million AAV from Boston with opt-outs.
After exercising that opt out, Bregman is available again, and one of baseball’s most prominent insiders confirmed the expected on Tuesday. According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, Detroit is going to be entering the sweepstakes once again for the services of the three-time All-Star.
Tigers Will Once Again Pursue Alex Bregman, Passan Confirms
Boston Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman fields his position against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park, May 14, 2025. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
“The Red Sox love Bregman, who opted out of the final two years and $80 million of his contract, and won’t close the door on a reunion despite having Marcelo Mayer ready to play third,” Passan wrote. “Detroit and Chicago, which pursued him last winter but came up short, will rejoin the fray, with Philadelphia lurking as it juggles multiple potential paths.”
Passan isn’t exactly breaking shocking news here, but hearing from one of the people most in the know that Detroit is going to be involved despite being spurned last year feels fairly notable.
Whether or not they can land the plane this time around remains to be seen, but president of baseball operations Scott Harris is going to give it another go to land a player who would have been a perfect fit to fix some of the issues this year’s team had.
Tigers Landing Bregman Could Push Them to Next Level
Boston Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman (2) bats against Detroit Tigers during the first inning during the first inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Wednesday, May 14, 2025. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
After the inspiring run to the playoffs and subsequent elimination of, ironically, the Houston Astros in 2024, it seemed Detroit was ready to take the next step in 2025. In a lot of ways, they did take that next step, but when things got tough, it was clear this team was still a couple pieces away from true championship contention.
Someone like Bregman — who fills a massive hole not only at the third base position but also in the middle of the lineup — could be that final piece this team needs so badly to help them both on the field and in the clubhouse.
Still a young team trying to figure out how to win at the highest level, a championship player like Bregman is such a huge asset to have from a leadership standpoint.
The fact that he addressed all concerns about declining numbers this season with a slash line of .273/.360/.462 and a 3.5 bWAR in just 114 games certainly doesn’t hurt either. The Tigers are going to hope the results around this time in the pursuit are different, but one thing seems to be absolutely certain.
Detroit isn’t going to let finishing second a year ago deter them; they are going after the player many think is exactly what they need to win a championship.
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