The Detroit Tigers had a strong season and remain active in the market for potential additions, but Alex Bregman does not appear to be one of their targets. According to a new report from the Detroit Free Press, there has been no recent contact between the Tigers and the former Red Sox. The report was authored by Evan Petzold.
“The Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs and Arizona Diamondbacks have been active in the Bregman sweepstakes, but the Tigers haven’t shown any new movement,” a person with knowledge of the situation told the Free Press on condition of anonymity because they are not permitted to speak publicly, Petzold wrote.
The same report notes that while there is a remote chance of future contact between the Tigers and Bregman, it remains unlikely. “The interest from the Tigers remains lukewarm, just as it has all offseason, with eight weeks until the first game of spring training.”
The Tigers have not signed a power bat
From December 12 through December 20, the Tigers did not sign any major offensive names. Instead, they focused on adding pitchers to strengthen the bullpen. The organization appears satisfied with its current offensive group, which performed relatively well last MLB season.
The Tigers’ most recent addition was Kyle Finnegan, who signed as a free agent and represents another arm the team hopes to rely on next season. Detroit’s .247 team batting average last year reflected a productive offense, making it less necessary to pursue multiple new bats.
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Cubs reportedly having extensive talks with Scott Boras about a top available star
Bregman already far from Detroit
It is also worth noting that this is not the first time reports have suggested the Tigers have either lost interest in Bregman or never pursued him as aggressively as other teams this year. In a December 26 Sports Illustrated article by Michael Brauner, he detailed how Detroit’s limited pursuit of Bregman has stood out.
“Detroit’s lack of reported interest in Bregman this time around does not make a whole lot of sense on the surface after pursuing him so strongly a year ago. Perhaps it’s a case of not wanting to be scorned once again, but the slugger is still the perfect target,” Brauner wrote.