How Red Sox Could Lose Alex Bregman To Tigers, Per Detroit Insider

Could Boston grow impatient?

Apr 13, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Boston Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman (2) celebrates after scoring against the Chicago White Sox during the sixth inning at Guaranteed Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

The Alex Bregman sweepstakes have captivated the attention of Boston Red Sox fans throughout the holiday season, and decision day could be approaching.

We don't know when Bregman will sign with any certainty, but fellow third baseman Kazuma Okamoto has a posting window that closes on Jan. 4, which could create urgency among some teams in Bregman's market.

The Arizona Diamondbacks, Toronto Blue Jays, and Chicago Cubs are confirmed to be involved in Bregman's market, but we hadn't heard much this offseason about the Detroit Tigers, who wound up with the biggest offer in terms of total dollars last winter.

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Where Tigers stand on Bregman, per insider

On Saturday, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reported that the Tigers had not yet made a push in Bregman's sweepstakes, which would have been a surprise to learn at the beginning of the offseason, but was becoming obvious as time wore on.

However, Petzold didn't rule out the Tigers eventually getting involved, and spelled out a scenario where the three-time All-Star could end up in Detroit -- if the Red Sox either got impatient or decided Bregman would simply be too expensive.

"If Bregman's market collapses by mid-January, the Tigers could re-enter the mix by putting the only long-term offer on the table," wrote Petzold.

"It's unlikely, but here's how it happens: The Blue Jays sign Kyle Tucker and re-sign Bo Bichette, the Red Sox trade for Isaac Paredes or Brendan Donovan, the Cubs stick with Matt Shaw or pivot to Eugenio Suárez, and the Diamondbacks refuse to trade Ketel Marte."

Got all that? It's not a scenario where the Tigers would be "beating" the Red Sox out for Bregman, but it's still a scenario Red Sox fans could be mildly concerned about if they're the pessimistic type.

Bregman, who will be 32 next season, is said to be looking for a home for the bulk of his remaining years in the league. Boston will need to make a longer-term commitment than the three-year deal with opt-outs they gave him last offseason, and it's not entirely clear whether they have the appetite to do so.

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