Sure sounds like the Blue Jays and Ross Atkins admitted defeat in Alex Bregman chase

It's been a rough year-plus for the Toronto Blue Jays. Last winter, the Jays finished runners-up for the services of two-way star Shohei Ohtani, who signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers and went on to win NL MVP and a World Series. This winter, Toronto was a finalist for Juan Soto, Max Fried and Corbin Burnes, only to lose out on those stars as well. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is a free agent next offseason, and Ross Atkins has yet to engage in meaningful negotiations on an extension.

So, you can't blame Jays fans for being a little frustrated. Toronto has two young stars in Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, along with a sound pitching staff, but can't convince top-tier free agents to head north of the border. Whether it be a tax issue or Canadian bias, something is amiss in the Blue Jays pitch to All-Star caliber players. The latest example appears to be former Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman.

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The Toronto Blue Jays appear to be on the outs with Alex Bregman

Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press believes Bregman favors the Tigers over other suitors, such as the Blue Jays or Red Sox.

"Bregman, from what I understand, wants to play for the Tigers. (If value aligns), Bregman is going to be a Tiger," Petzold said.

This bit of information, paired with the Blue Jays seemingly moving on to their backup plan in former Baltimore Orioles slugger Anthony Santander, would suggest Toronto is out on Bregman for now. Bregman is evidently seeking a contract as close to $200 million as he can get, which is a big ask for a player on the wrong side of 30 and coming off one of his worst seasons offensively.

While Bregman's resume speaks for itself, he is probably the only player Atkins and the Jays can make a sound argument for NOT overpaying. He had an OPS of .768 last season, which is the worst of his career to date. Defensively, Bregman remains a solid option and won a Gold Glove in 2024.