The Tigers made a strong push to sign him Alex Bregman last season, gave the third baseman a six-year, $171.5MM deal (with deferred money) that included an opt-out clause for Bregman following the 2026 season. With Bregman back on the market this winter, the Tigers have regrouped, but in a “lukewarm” way, according to Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press.
This echoes Petzold’s last report on Bregman from earlier this month, and “the Tigers haven’t shown any new movement” in the weeks since, a source tells Petzold in his latest piece. Since Detroit was apparently the only team to offer Bregman a contract longer than four years last year, Petzold suggests the Tigers may try to increase this interest to see if they can wait out the rest of the market for Bregman.
The Blue Jays, Cubs, Diamondbacks, and Red Sox are Bregman’s other known suitors, with Petzold adding that Chicago and Boston “have never shown a willingness to offer a long-term contract.” This was the case last winter as well, as the Cubs reportedly offered Bergman a four-year deal (with multiple opt-outs) in the $115MM-$120MM range, and the third baseman ended up signing a three-year, $120MM deal with the Sox that allowed him to opt out after each of the first two seasons.
Bregman is entering his age-32 campaign, and hit .273/.360/.462 with 18 home runs over 495 plate appearances in Boston in 2025. His season was marred by a quad strain that sidelined him for less than seven weeks, and a serious slump in the final five weeks of the season. These flaws notwithstanding, Bregman’s hot start earned him his third career All-Star, and his veteran influence in the young Red Sox clubhouse was widely praised.
It was an overall solid year for Bregman, and an improvement over his 2024 slash line. However, it may not have been the kind of dominant campaign that inspires the team to make the kind of five- or six-year offering it wasn’t willing to make last season, though Bregman isn’t tied to a fair deal this time around.
A few other things make Bregman’s market difficult. Bo Bichette again Kazuma Okamoto they are still free agents, and Okamoto’s shipping window opens on January 4. It’s possible that Okamoto’s teams (including both the Red Sox and Blue Jays, according to reports) may first wait to see where he lands before moving on to other infield targets. Boston and Toronto have also shown interest in free agent Bo Bichette and a trade candidate Ketel Marteand moving Marte’s contract could be Arizona’s first step to freeing up enough cap space to pursue Bregman.
While Bichette is thought to be the frontrunner for the Blue Jays and Bregman is probably the target for Boston, the two teams have been linked to so many players that the Tigers, Diamondbacks, and Cubs could stand out as Bregman appears to be the only big-name infielder on their radar. Chicago’s offseason was dominated by a number of bullpen additions and reports linking the Cubs to several free agent starters, but there hasn’t been much buzz about any major position players being replaced. Kyle Tucker. Mantshontsho said and met him Pete Alonso during the Winter Meetings, so it’s not like the team is closing in on the pursuit of a top bat.
As Petzold notes, there is a scenario where Bregman’s other suitors all stand firm or make another purchase, leaving the Tigers as the only club open to offering Bregman a long-term deal. Depending on how things go, Bregman and agent Scott Boras could potentially switch to some type of short-term, mid-to-high-value contract with an exit or two. Bregman didn’t sign with the Red Sox last winter until mid-February, which could be a sign that Bregman is happy to wait until he gets an acceptable offer, or he may prefer more stability at this point rather than another long stint in free agency.
Since the Tigers have yet to sign a free agent to a deal longer than two years during Scott Harris’ tenure, Motown fans would prefer the club to be proactive or aggressive in finally landing a big target. Patience with Bregman naturally creates the risk that he will simply sign elsewhere, leaving Detroit now having to play catchup if the team wants to make significant roster upgrades. The Tigers are one of the teams that will explore the idea of trading Marte, so that could present another option if Marte is still in Arizona when Bregman is off the board.
