The Detroit Tigers are used to quiet offseasons, but Scott Harris is currently tiptoeing around the exceedingly rare big-ticket addition with three weeks until position players report to spring training.
Alex Bregman, a two-time All-Star and two-time World Series champ, appears to be drifting away from the Houston Astros. His free agent market is competitive on the surface, but the Tigers have a couple inroads. A.J. Hinch once managed Bregman in Houston, where they established a close bond. He's also tight with Tigers bullpen catcher Chris Chinea.
It certainly doesn't hurt that Bregman's agent, the infamous Scott Boras, also represents Tigers fireballer Tarik Skubal. The Harris front office is therefore intimately familiar with Boras and the games he might deploy over the course of contract negotiations. Skubal extension talks around right around the corner, and Detroit could assuage the bubbling anxiety in its fanbase with an aggressive maneuver for Bregman.
Detroit made a postseason run in 2024 with one of the lowest payrolls in baseball. Hinch reminded folks of why he was so successful in Houston, trash cans aside. His ability to leverage matchups in his favor and maximize a bunch of disparate, niche parts was utterly incredible. Add a dependable, everyday bat like Bregman to the middle of the Tigers lineup, and he might be cooking with gas.
It looks like Harris, Hinch, and Detroit management have some help on the recruiting front.
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Tarik Skubal endorses Tigers' pursuit of fellow Scott Boras client Alex Bregman
Skubal was asked about Detroit's interest in Bregman, and the reigning AL Cy Young winner did not hold back. He was remarkably candid about his interest in Bregman — and, as he suspects, Bregman's interest in Motown.
"He would look really good (with the Tigers)," he said on Foul Territory TV. "I'm sure he wants it. We got the connections."
That reads as almost cocky on Skubal's part. The Blue Jays, Red Sox, Cubs, and Mets are among the other teams linked to Bregman. Even the Astros are still in the mix. All those teams traditionally spend much more than Detroit, who has not dolled out a multi-year contract to a position player in three years.
Detroit has the connections, but now it's up to Scott Harris and ownership to land the plane. Bregman preferring the Tigers would make all the sense in the world, but the Boras Corp. does not typically play favorites. Boras wants top dollar for his clients — and for himself. At 30 years old, this is probably Bregman's last chance for a substantial long-term deal, so he's unlikely to take a discount for Hinch alone.
On the other hand, this past postseason was the first time in ages that Houston didn't make it to the ALCS. Their demise came at the hands of Detroit, as fate would have it, so Bregman saw the Tigers' connectivity and trademark pluck up close. The 'Gritty Tigs' moniker caught on because its essence is true. There's something special about that group. Bregman, a proven winner and locker room leader, can help take things to the next level.
Bregman's hypothetical arrival would also give Skubal another reason to stick around — and Boras a reason to feel good about negotiating a long-term deal with Detroit's front office when Skubal's time comes around.