Detroit Tigers Should be Considered Favorites to Sign Alex Bregman

It has been a quiet offseason so far for the Detroit Tigers, but there is still plenty of time for the team to make a splash or two this offseason.

Last year, the Tigers were able to shock the league with one of the best records in the second half of the season. Detroit really found their groove after the trade deadline, and made it all the way into the postseason.

In October, the Tigers were able to knock out the Houston Astros in the American League Wild Card Round, and were just one win away from reaching the American League Championship Series.

Despite the success in 2024, this team is far from perfect. Coming into the offseason, they had needs in the starting rotation, first base, third base, and in the middle of their batting order.

So far, the only substantial move they have made was to sign Alex Cobb to a one-year deal to bolster the starting rotation. However, while Cobb gives them another arm in the order, he likely doesn’t fill the need at the top of the rotation with Tarik Skubal.

Recently, Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report spoke about Detroit still needing to improve this offseason. He highlighted that with recent moves made by the Astros, that the Tigers should be the favorites to sign Alex Bregman in free agency.

“With the Astros trading for two third basemen (Isaac Paredes and Cam Smith) and spending $60M on a first baseman (Christian Walker), it sure seems like they won't be re-signing Bregman. This arguably leaves Detroit as the favorite to sign him, but we shall see if they can actually get that deal done, with very likely the Mets, Cubs and Red Sox all still candidates in that bidding war.”

With Bregman’s time in Houston likely being done, the Tigers are certainly a strong possibility to sign him. In terms of a fit, the slugger is perfect for Detroit. He can hit in the middle of the lineup, plays gold glove defense at third base, and has a plethora of postseason experience.

However, while he might be the perfect fit, he is also going to be very expensive. Likely one of the reasons why the Astros decided to move on from him is because of the price tag.

For Detroit, there are some big-market teams that are still potential landing spots for Bregman, as getting into a bidding war with the New York Yankees or New York Mets is something that they would likely want to avoid.

Furthermore, if the Tigers are willing to make a big financial commitment to someone, the talented third baseman would be a good choice.