Tigers signing Jack Flaherty is the best possible news for Craig Breslow, Red Sox

The Detroit Tigers finally struck a deal on Sunday, reuniting with Jack Flaherty on a two-year, $35 million contract.

It's an incredible bargain for the Tigers, who add a second ace behind Tarik Skubal in their pursuit of a second straight postseason berth. Flaherty is coming off his best season, posting a 3.17 ERA and 194 strikeouts across 162.0 innings. With all the money handed out to pitchers this offseason, Flaherty settling for a short-term, forward-thinking contract was unexpected.

That said, those left holding the bag look a little silly. The Cubs needed pitching depth. Atlanta. Toronto. New York. Any number of teams will struggle to justify not topping, or at least competing with Detroit's offer.

There are certainly Boston Red Sox fans who are a bit bummed to watch Flaherty sign with an AL rival for so little. Boston has a lot of ground to make up after a disappointing 2024 campaign. The Red Sox made a couple significant additions to the pitching staff this offseason with Garrett Crochet and Walker Buehler, but Flaherty was an ace-level asset willing to sign for middle-rotation money.

So, why is this such a joyous occasion for Boston? They missed out and the path to AL contention got harder. Or... did it? Flaherty's signing might actual signal a much bigger win for Boston, if we're reading the tea leaves correctly.

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Red Sox could strike big with Alex Bregman after Tigers splurge on Jack Flaherty

Boston and Detroit have long been considered the co-favorites to sign All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman, the best position player left in free agency. The Red Sox presumably have more spending power than Detroit, but the Tigers are litterd with direct personal connections to Bregman — starting with A.J. Hinch, who won a World Series alongside Bregman in Houston.

There was a real sense that Bregman might prefer the Tigers in a vacuum. With Detroit burning its limited financial capital on Flaherty, however, the runway is wide open for Boston to land the plane with Bregman.

If Bregman was Detroit's primary choice and Flaherty was the backup, that would imply the Tigers have moved on from Bregman. He was probably too expensive. That leaves Boston as the imminent favorite, with a clear need for right-handed slugging and an open slot in the infield.

Alex Cora, another former Bregman collaborator in Houston, has made his desire to sign the 30-year-old well known. The Red Sox are committed to Rafael Devers at third base for now, but Cora views Bregman as a potential Gold Glove candidate at second base. With Boston drowning in quality left-handed bats, Bregman would occupy a prominent spot in the middle of the Red Sox lineup, offering essential balance.

It has been a slow-moving offseason in Boston aside from the Crochet trade. They've watched the Yankees sigh Max Fried and trade for Cody Bellinger, the Blue Jays sign Anthony Santander and Max Scherzer, and the O's poach Tyler O'Neill for good measure. Bregman is the sort of major splash that puts the Red Sox permanently back on the map in a competitive division.

Craig Breslow still needs to get this across the finish line, but Boston is sitting pretty on the Bregman front after Detroit's apparent concession.