The Tigers are gearing up for an active offseason, and while most of the chatter’s been about potentially trading Tarik Skubal, Detroit’s also looking to make some key additions through free agency.
Alex Bregman keeps coming up in Tigers rumors. The former Astros and Red Sox third baseman has been on Detroit’s radar for a while now, and that interest hasn’t cooled off.
Jim Bowden of The Athletic thinks this is the year Detroit finally gets their man. In his offseason wish-list, Bowden predicted Bregman lands with the Tigers on what looks like a pretty reasonable deal.
“Alex Bregman signs with the Detroit Tigers on a 6-year, $182 million pact. The Tigers just missed on Bregman last winter, but they won’t this time around.”
Here’s what makes Bowden’s projection interesting: Bregman opted out of his current deal with Boston that would’ve paid him $40 million per year for 2026 and 2027. If he takes this Tigers contract instead, he’s essentially giving Detroit a $10 million annual discount.
The math works out to more total money – $182 million over six years versus $80 million over two – but the AAV drops to about $30.3 million. That’s the kind of deal that could work for both sides.
What Bregman Brings
At 31, Bregman’s coming off his third All-Star season. Sure, injuries limited him to just 114 games, but when he was on the field, he looked like his old self again.
He hit .273 with an .821 OPS – his best offensive numbers since that monster 2019 campaign when he posted a .296 average and 1.015 OPS. That’s the kind of bounce-back year that makes teams believe there’s still plenty left in the tank.
The defense remains solid too, which is exactly what Detroit needs at the hot corner. Bregman fills a clear need and brings that postseason experience the Tigers are looking to add.
If Bowden’s prediction comes true, Detroit would be getting one of the market’s top third basemen at a bit of a discount. That’s the kind of move that could help push the Tigers from wild card contenders to division threats.
