Alex Bregman Turns Down Detroit Tigers, Agrees To Deal With Boston Red Sox
In this story:
The Detroit Tigers were hoping to make one final splash ahead of Spring Training.
Throughout the offseason, they were linked to star third baseman Alex Bregman.
The fit of him joining this clubhouse that's full of rising stars who needed a veteran presence to take them to the next level was ideal, and coupled with the fact that one of his former managers, A.J. Hinch, is the skipper of the Tigers, this looked like a perfect fit on paper.
But the Bregman free agency saga came to a close and he didn't select Detroit.
According to Chandler Rome of The Athletic, the two-time World Series champion agreed to a three-year, $120 million deal with the Boston Red Sox that has opt-outs after each season.
Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY added Bregman turned down an offer that was for six years and over $170 million, but it's not clear if it was the Tigers that offered him that deal.
This is a tough pill to swallow for Detroit.
When the offseason began, it appeared like they were going to be long shots to land the coveted third baseman since the anticipation was he'd get swooped off the market quickly by a cash-rich team looking to boost their infield and lineup.
However, the longer he stayed available, the more it looked like he would join the Tigers until he made this decision to ink a contract with the Red Sox pending things becoming official.
Detroit has improved this winter.
They added Gleyber Torres, reunited with Jack Flaherty to give them another top-of-the-rotation arm and signed Alex Cobb, although he's already dealing with an injury which was a red flag coming into the offseason.
The Tigers can still compete in the AL Central as currently constructed, but missing out on Bregman hurts their chances at taking the next step into becoming true contenders.
