Detroit Tigers Should Make Aggressive Offer to All-Star Free Agent Slugger
The Detroit Tigers have been relatively quiet thus far in the MLB offseason compared to how many people thought they would operate.
After making a shocking run to the postseason, a spending spree is what fans wanted to see and some analysts thought was on the horizon. But, they have spent modestly, handing out only one-year deals to starting pitcher Alex Cobb and second baseman Gleyber Torres.
It does make sense to have a calculated approach as the Tigers have some very good young players to build around and potential stars in their farm system. They do not want to block them from ascending to the Major League level with long-term commitments they will later regret.
However, there is still a possibility that they make a major addition, committing big money to an established free agent.
One player who they could do that for is Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman.
MLB insider Bob Nightengale of USA Today listed Detroit as one of the teams who are still on him, along with the Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets.
“The Detroit Tigers, with manager A.J. Hinch lobbying for him, certainly have an opening. If they sign him, the Tigers could be the favorites to win the AL Central. But there’s still a wide gap in contract talks," he wrote.
That gap is something that seemingly exists between Bregman and all of the teams he has spoken to. That is why the Tigers need to get aggressive and up their offer so that they can secure the services of a player who will help push them closer to contention.
How can they get that done?
One interesting suggestion is to up the AAV of a deal, offering a three-year contract worth $90 million with opt-outs after 2025 and 2026 so that he could test the market again in each of the next two winters if he wanted to.
Or offer a long-term deal that pushes toward $200 million, the range Bregman is looking for a contract offer in but has yet to receive, per Nightengale.
There are certainly some risks signing a player who will be 31 years old ahead of the 2025 campaign a long-term deal, as he is working toward the backend of his prime. But he is the perfect addition for a team in the position in which Detroit it.
His championship experience would help a team whose nearly entire roster garnered postseason experience for the first time only three months ago.
As Nightengale mentioned, he would also fill a need in their lineup, as they don’t currently have a ready-made everyday option to handle the hot corner. Coming off his first Gold Glove Award-winning campaign in his career, he would be a huge boost defensively.
Offensively, he remains as consistent as ever at the plate.
His walk rate plummeted in 2024, but he registered his highest hard-hit percentage and home run percentage since 2019. Bregman remains a tough player to strikeout and still hit 26 home runs and 30 doubles this past campaign despite an ice cold start.
Adding him as protection for Riley Greene would help elevate this offense to the kind of levels it needs to be at if they want to be taken seriously as contenders.
Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. In addition to his work here, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.