Creative Offseason Free Agency Idea Would Transform Detroit Tigers Infield
The Detroit Tigers enter the offseason ready to make significant and aggressive upgrades after their deep playoff run that came out of nowhere based on where they were at late in the year.
Headed into the home stretch of the season, Detroit was left for dead after selling at the trade deadline and facing less than a one percent chance make the playoffs in the middle of August. Turning things around and becoming the hottest team in baseball over the last month and a half, the Tigers made it in and eliminated the Houston Astros in the Wild Card round before being knocked out by the rival Cleveland Guardians in a five game ALDS battle.
Fueled by one of the best young cores in baseball, the Tigers have a chance to add to it this winter and put themselves squarely in a position where they have they could compete for a World Series. Of the issues facing the team, corner infield was near the top of the list following a brutal campaign for Spencer Torkelson and a revolving door platoon at third. Chap Cunningham of Just Baseball has a wild idea for how Detroit can overhaul both spots by with a big-time free agent signing as well as a position switch coming after moving Spencer Torkelson.
"If Detroit wants to get creative, a fun option could be to move Jace Jung to first base and make a play for Alex Bregman," Cunningham wrote. "The 31-year-old would pair very nicely in a lineup with Riley Greene and Kerry Carpenter."
Jung has played in just 34 major league games and asking the team's No. 5 prospect to make a major position switch and relying on him to be the team's everyday first baseman would be incredibly bold. At the very least, a veteran would have to be brought in as an insurance policy in the potentially likely event that Jung is still not ready to be a heavy contributor to a major league lineup.
As for Bregman, it has always felt like a perfect fit in Detroit. A longstanding relationship with A.J. Hinch combined with the fact that he is simply a winning baseball player from an Astros team that has been the class of the American League for a decade make him a dream acquisition. He certainly would not be cheap, but the championship mentality he would bring to an ascending young team has the potential to pay dividends.
If Bregman were truly brought in, Jung would likely have to make a position switch regardless with Colt Keith already at second. So while it seems crazy at first, it actually could make a lot of sense.
Perhaps all in one offseason the Tigers could bring in one of the best third baseman in baseball and find their new franchise first baseman.
