The Detroit Tigers have established themselves as a reliable presence in the MLB playoffs over the past two seasons, but they have yet to break through to the American League Championship Series on either occasion.
With back-to-back AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal in the fold for now, but not necessarily for the long haul, it’s imperative that the team do everything it can to maximize the chance of winning a World Series before Skubal is gone.
Now in late November, it’s time for MLB front offices to get down to brass tacks in assessing the free agency market and getting it moving with big splashes. For the Tigers, that means finding ways to improve an already strong, balanced roster, whether that comes in the form of pitching or hitting.
Star Infielder Alex Bregman Would Provide Massive Upgrade to Detroit Tigers’ Lineup
Eric Canha-Imagn Images
Writing for The Athletic, analyst Andy McCullough broke down one ideal Black Friday shopping target for each MLB team, and it should come as no surprise that he landed on infielder Alex Bregman for the Tigers.
“If the Tigers aren’t going to trade Tarik Skubal, then they should try to win the World Series with him,” McCullough wrote. “The market for Bregman heading into 2026 should be similar to the market for his services heading into 2025. Detroit’s infield is crowded, but you can make room for a player with Bregman’s talent.”
The connection between Bregman and Detroit manager AJ Hinch is an obvious one from their time together in Houston. That familiarity would certainly be a selling point for both team and player, but there are a lot of other reasons to like the fit as well.
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
Adding Bregman to the mix offensively would provide some crucial strikeout avoidance to a Tigers lineup that is sorely lacking in it.
Riley Greene struck out 30.7% of the time last year, and among the Detroit hitters who whiffed at a clip of over 25% were Trey Sweeney, Parker Meadows, Spencer Torkelsen and Jake Rogers. Only Gleyber Torres struck out under 21.7% of the time, and he was at 16.1%.
Bregman would instantly become the best player on the Tigers in this regard, as he struck out just 14.1% of the time with Boston last season, and even that was above his career clip of 13.4%.
A seasoned hitter like Bregman would make the Detroit lineup much more difficult to navigate simply by putting the ball in play more often, to say nothing of his solid batted-ball profile, leadership qualities and high-level defense.
Bregman is clearly open to short-term commitments, as evidenced by his one-year stint with the Red Sox, and a high-salary, short-term deal to maximize the Tigers’ chances of winning while Skubal is in the fold would be a win-win for all involved.