As great as Alex Bregman may be this season with the Boston Red Sox, the Detroit Tigers cannot be blamed for not signing the star infielder. Detroit president of baseball operations Scott Harris made an admirable run at Bregman, even offering him more long-term security and overall money than the Red Sox.
Boston has the Tigers beat on AAV on a three-year, $120 million deal Harris could not be convinced to match – and he was right to do so. Bregman has been an incredible presence in the Red Sox locker room so far this spring, even agreeing to play wherever Alex Cora needs him on the diamond, whether that be second base or third base. With the Tigers, he would've been the surefire Opening Day third baseman, and slotted in as protection for Riley Green in the Detroit lineup.
However, as MLB Pipeline showcased earlier this week, the Tigers are in no rush to overspend on top free agent talent. While they should take their swings when necessary – and they did so with Bregman – one ill-conceived signing or trade can blow everything up.
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Detroit Tigers farm system makes Alex Bregman miss more tolerable
Per MLB Pipeline, the Tigers have the best farm system in all of baseball. This includes six top-100 talents like Jackson Jobe, RHP (No. 5); Max Clark, OF (No. 6); Kevin McGonigle, SS/2B (No. 28); Bryce Rainer, SS (No. 52); Thayron Liranzo, C/1B (No. 81); Josue Briceño, 1B/C (No. 94). You'll notice there are plenty of infielders and premiere bats in that group, meaning the Tigers should not feel obligated to reach on a contract they aren't comfortable with.
Yes, prospects are far from a guarantee, but Detroit has collected them en mass. Some of those players listed above are bound to work, and the Tigers farm system depth is better than any team in MLB this season, per MLB Pipeline:
"The depth doesn’t stop there. Jace Jung, now healthy after last season’s wrist issues, is competing for the Major League job at third base, Hao-Yu Lee has a solid track record of hitting across all levels and Trey Sweeney still maintains prospect status after serving as the club’s starting shortstop during its postseason run."
The Tigers have options. None of those players will become Bregman overnight, and perhaps they never will. But by refusing to abandon their current team-building process, Harris is at the very least consistent, and at best sitting on a gold mine.