Bregman’s Shocking Detroit Tigers Remarks Highlight Pain of Missed Opportunity

The Detroit Tigers may have been even closer to landing Alex Bregman than they thought.

Mar 17, 2025; Fort Myers, Florida, USA; Boston Red Sox Alex Bregman (2) connects with the ball in the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at JetBlue Park at Fenway South. | Chris Tilley-Imagn Images

The Detroit Tigers are just a week away from the start of the regular season and they still have a massive hole in the lineup.

A gaping crater at the third base position was made even worse this week when former Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman revealed his belief this week throughout free agency that he was headed to the Motor City before the Boston Red Sox came in at the final hour with their opt-out heavy offer which will pay him $40 million per season.

Bregman's comments reflect the fact that not only was the Tigers push for one of the best in the game very real from the team's side, but from his perspective as well.

While it's time for Detroit to turn the page and no longer be concerned about something which is not only over but also completely out of their control when it was not over, it's hard not to dwell on the fact Bregman had done everything short of purchasing a plane ticket.

It's not to say the Tigers should have matched Boston's offer of three years for $120 million with opt outs in each season, they should not have.

At the same time though, the way things have played out this spring make it difficult not to wish Detroit had done more in order to close the deal.

Presumptive backup plan Jace Jung had a completely disastrous spring at the plate and wound up getting sent back down to Triple-A, a stint the team will hope is not a lengthy one and he can get his timing back in order to return to the big leagues sooner rather than later.

With Jung back in the minor leagues and Matt Vierling dealing with an injury that is going to hold him out for the start of the season, the options for Detroit at the hot corner are limited to some sort of combination of Andy Ibáñez, Javier Báez, and Zach McKinstry.

For a Tigers team who was looking to build on the deep playoff run of last year after a miraculous finish to the regular season and become a legitimate contender, a platoon at one of the most important positions both on the diamond and in the lineup is far from ideal.

In fact, it's something which may greatly limit what Detroit is able to do both in the regular season and a potential postseason, should they be fortunate enough to make it.

Signing Bregman would have solved the biggest issue in the organization right now, and his latest comments reflect the fact that the Tigers may have been even closer than they thought.