Insider Believes Detroit Tigers Have Best Offer On Table For Star Free Agent
The Detroit Tigers have managed to remain heavily involved in the free agency of the top available player throughout the process of free agency.
As the sweepstakes rage on for Houston Astros star third baseman Alex Bregman, eventually the domino will have to fall and he will sign with a team putting to an end what has felt like the longest bidding process for a player on the open market in a very long time. Chances are that signature comes sooner rather than later with spring training just weeks away.
Seemingly down to the Tigers along with the Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, and a potential shocking return to the Astros, the hay is likely in the barn already so to speak when it comes to team's putting their best offers forth.
At least one prominent MLB insider believes that of the current offers, Detroit may just have the best one out there.
"I think the Tigers have the best offer on the table perhaps," Jim Bowden of The Athletic stated during an appearance on MLB Network Radio. "I'm just not sure that's where he wants to go, but the Tigers are right there...he's been their priority all offseason."
Bregman's free agency has really been all over the place. Entering the winter, the most likely outcome felt like a return to Houston, but things changed after the Astros started making moves to indicate that not being the case.
This week, the Blue Jays emerged as a surprising contender with reports of them potentially having a six-year deal on the table surfacing.
Meanwhile, the Red Sox seemingly are not willing to go over four years, potentially making Toronto an even more attractive destination than Boston for the two-time All-Star if number of years is truly the biggest sticking point.
That being said, we do know Bregman turned down a six-year offer from Houston earlier in the offseason for over $150 million as rumors surfaced of him wanting closer to $200 million over seven years - a figure he almost certainly will not get.
At this point, we can safely guess the Tigers have a similar offer to the six-year, $156 million he turned down from the Astros standing to Bregman, possibly valued at slightly more.
If Bregman hasn't taken it or is demanding more, it simply may be time for Detroit to move on and try to figure out other ways to get better.
At a certain point, you cannot force a player to want to come, and rather than overextending themselves financially for someone who didn't want to be here in the first place, the best solution could be looking elsewhere.
