The Detroit Tigers were one of the teams that pursued Alex Bregman last winter in free agency. They ultimately lost out on him to the Boston Red Sox, but that doesn’t mean the Tigers are moving on just yet.
In fact, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic believes the Tigers should consider him if he were to opt out.
“If Bregman were to opt out of his Red Sox deal, he would certainly again be a player who checks a lot of boxes for the Tigers,” wrote Stavenhagen. “So, too, would Bo Bichette — whose ability to play shortstop (even if it’s at a below-average grade) might make him an even better fit. Bregman has been great when healthy this season.”
Bregman entered Wednesday with a 156 OPS+ and a slash line of .303/.384/.549 for the Red Sox. At 31 years old, he’s still hitting at a high level and playing solid defense at the hot corner. The Red Sox third baseman could opt out though and likely may which would open the door for the Tigers once again.
“But in addition to last year’s drama, it’s worth remembering he will be a year older,” wrote Stavenhagen. “Are the Tigers willing to offer as much as they did last winter? … It wouldn’t be wise with the Tigers to rule out any player just based on how a previous negotiation went. At the very least, they should consider Bregman if he indeed becomes a free agent.”
Even with being a year older, Bregman isn’t showing any signs of regression. If he does opt out of his current deal, the Tigers should be all one of the teams aggressively pursuing him.
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