Scott Harris went scorched Earth on Alex Bregman after he turned down Tigers offer

The Detroit Tigers have enjoyed a somewhat quiet yet productive offseason, but their latest swing and miss provided fans and media with some comic relief.

Detroit was one game away from qualifying for the American League Championship Series a year ago, and despite being sellers ahead of the 2024 trade deadline, the Tigers thrived and surged during the second half of the season by utilizing their bench and deploying their best version of pitching chaos. Basically, A.J. Hinch was forced to mix and match his pitching staff through each start, aside from Tarik Skubal's turn in the rotation.

After the unexpected success, general manager Scott Harris made a conscious effort to improve Detroit's roster and provide manager A.J. Hinch with various options that would allow him to construct the best lineup to counter right or left-handed pitchers. Nobody uses their bench in pinch-hitting situations more than Hinch, and the Tigers players embrace and thrive on the whole 'team effort' philosophy.

This offseason, the Detroit Tigers added veteran second baseman Gleyber Torres, along with Jack Flaherty, whom they dealt last season at the deadline, to the Dodgers, where he'd anchor their rotation to a World Series title. Those are two big-time additions, but Alex Bregman has been said to be Detroit's top priority this winter.

Despite being in the conversation for his services until the final minutes of his decision, Detroit missed out on the star third baseman. Bregman signed a three-year deal with Boston that averages $40 million annually. The contract also includes opt-outs after each of the first two seasons. The good news for Detroit fans is that Harris and the Tigers provided Bregman with a competitive offer and an offer that possessed the most guaranteed money he was offered on the open market. Detroit offered a six-year deal worth $171.5 million, including an opt-out clause following the 2026 season.

Bregman historically has had tremendous success hitting at Fenway Park. He owns a 1.240 OPS at Fenway, the best among any player with a minimum of 75 plate appearances. In 21 games, Bregman has totaled seven home runs, nine doubles, and 24 runs scored while hitting a robust .375. His .490 on-base percentage is second to only Ted Williams' .496 at Fenway Park. So, does it really come as a surprise that Bregman chose Boston over Detroit?

Detroit Tigers general manager Scott Harris went down without pulling any punches.

A few of the highlights

"Was I disappointed?" Harris said. "I wouldn't characterize my emotions that way. We want players who want to be here," Harris said. "We made a very compelling offer to Alex Bregman, but he chose to sign somewhere else. That's fine. We knew that was a possibility throughout this process and we planed for that outcome."

"We're going to be just fine without Alex Bregman," Harris said, "and we still have a clubhouse that just got to the postseason and just beat a team with Alex Bregman, so it clearly can be done. We just got to focus on the guys we have in camp right now."

"We felt like it was really important to add a right-handed bat, especially with on-base skills," Harris said. "We feel really good about being able do that. There hasn't been a ton of options for us to add a second right-handed bat. I don't think there's going to be one coming through free agency. We're going to explore trade opportunities, but we feel really good about the group we have."

The Tigers will likely start Matt Vierlingand Jace Jung at the hot corner in 2025

Vierling isn't a bad option, and he performed very well at third base last season in limited action despite it not being his traditional position. Vierling appeared in 51 games at third base last season and posted a .982 fielding percentage. He accounted for 74 assists, but -2 defensive runs saved. In contrast, Bregman, who won the AL Gold Glove, produced a .972 fielding percentage over 142 games with 242 assists and six defensive runs saved.

Vierling slashed .257/.423/.735 with a WAR of 3.0. The Tigers utility man hit 16 home runs and drove in 57 with his 518 at-bats. Bregman slashed .260/.453/.768 with a WAR of 4.1. Bregman hit 26 homers and drove in 75 with his 581 plate appearances.

Comparing the numbers and knowing Vierling may have the opportunity to win the everyday job at third base, I believe that Harris is right. Maybe the Tigers will be just fine filling the role with their players within the organization. Life without Bregman isn't the end of the world for Tigers fans. Detroit has proved their willingness to spend, and perhaps that money they had set aside for Bregman can be allocated elsewhere, possibly extending their Cy Young starter Tarik Skubal on a long-term deal.