DETROIT – Well, Alex Bregman is officially the last big name on the free agent market, and the Detroit Tigers are one of the teams trying to sign him.
Overnight, first baseman Pete Alonso reached a two-year deal to return to the Mets, leaving Bregman as the last major free agent without a home.
Over the past two days, we’ve followed all the reports about the five teams involved in the Bregman sweepstakes: the Tigers, Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox, Houston Astros, and Toronto Blue Jays.
It’s been a long time since the Tigers were in on one of baseball’s biggest free agents, so we’re going to follow along as closely as possible until spring training gives us some actual baseball to watch.
Here’s what insiders are reporting today about Bregman.
Bregman still wants 6-7 years
A Thursday report from Bob Nightengale revealed that Bregman still has no interest in a short-term deal and wants 6-7 years.
It’s Nightengale, so he’s probably slightly off about the details, but it’s basically the only Bregman news we’ve gotten all day, so we’re going to discuss it.
On one hand, this could help the Tigers because the Cubs are unlikely to do a longer deal.
But on the other hand, I don’t even want the Tigers to commit to that with Bregman.
If he’s signed beyond four or (at the very most) five years, the contract as a whole is likely to be a net negative. And the last thing we need is for another (Javier Baez) ill-advised contract to backfire and then we get another decade of acting like a small-market team.
If Bregman really is holding out for 6-7 years, then the Tigers should probably stick with Jace Jung and Matt Vierling at third.
Olney says 1-year deal with Cubs would be ‘horrific’
There hasn’t been much new info on Bregman overnight, but ESPN’s Buster Olney did have some interesting comments on his podcast.
Olney addressed the speculation that Bregman could eventually settle for a one-year prove-it deal and try hitting the market again next offseason. Specifically, Olney thinks that would be a “horrific” decision with the Cubs.
“The idea of him taking a Cody Bellinger contract -- with the logic being opt out after the first year and going and hitting Wrigley Field, thinking he’s going to cash in on one year -- I think it’s a horrific idea,” Olney said.
Chicago has unofficially emerged as the favorite for Bregman, with most people thinking he will ultimately settle for a little bit of a shorter deal.
But Olney pointed out that Wrigley Field is the third-worst park for right-handed hitters over the past three seasons.
For context, Comerica Park is 22nd out of 30 parks. Fenway Park is second, the Rogers Center is seventh, and Minute Maid Park is 15th, among the other three Bregman suitors.
Here are the updates from Feb. 5, 2025
Heyman talks current Bregman situation
In a live stream he hosted on Bleacher Report, Jon Heyman spoke about the Bregman situation.
Here are some of the key points from Heyman’s reporting:
- He thinks at this moment, if he had to bet, he’d go with the Cubs.
- He said it changes every day, so that’s just his feeling at this moment.
- Toronto, Detroit, Boston, and Houston are all still interested.
- He definitely doesn’t consider the Astros a favorite at this moment.
- Former Astros teammates who are now with the Cubs are working to try to get Bregman in Chicago.
- He doesn’t feel like the Mets or Yankees are in on Bregman.
Murray update on Bregman suitors
MLB insider Robert Murray appeared on another episode of The Baseball Insiders on Wednesday afternoon and provided an updated look at the Bregman free agency, as he sees it.
Murray said the decision for the Astros to trade Ryan Pressly to the Cubs wasn’t with the intent of shedding his salary to make money for a renewed Bregman pursuit, but rather because the Josh Hader signing last offseason soured Pressly’s relationship with the club.
Pressly had been Houston’s closer for several years before they signed Hader to a record long-term deal to take over that role.
“Now we’ve got Dana Brown essentially saying that the team has ‘lost Bregman,’” Murray said. “Last time I checked, that’s not an encouraging sign for where talks are currently standing. So let’s assume that the Astros are still on the sidelines here. Dana Brown’s comments would seem to indicate they’re probably not going to get into the race unless it’s too good to be true here.”
On the Cubs, Murray said the team does clearly have interest.
“I don’t know if a deal is close there, by any means, but I can say that they do have interest,” Murray said.
He acknowledged that the Red Sox have been linked to Bregman, but called Sam Kennedy’s comments “confusing as heck.”
Murray said this about the Tigers:
“The Tigers remain interested, as well, even after signing Jack Flaherty. Especially if you look at the Tigers' contract situation -- they have (Tarik) Skubal, who’s signed through 2026. They have Flaherty who got a one-year contract, essentially, with an option, so let’s not assume he’s going to be on the books longer.
“This is their window to win. They’ve still got plenty of other talented young players, so it’s not going to be -- this World Series window’s not just going to be just two years. It’s going to be extended. But your best chance is going to be when you know you have Skubal, when you have Flaherty, and those kinds of guys on the books.
“If you can get a guy like Bregman, I think that makes a ton of sense, especially with the A.J. Hinch connection there in Detroit. So the Tigers to me are definitely a team to watch when it comes to Bregman.”
He said he last checked on Tuesday night and doesn’t believe anything is imminent.
Hot Stove weighs in on Bregman, Arenado news
- Per Matt Vasgersian and Harold Reynolds on Hot Stove.
Matt Vasgersian and Harold Reynolds shared their take on Wednesday morning’s news that the Red Sox have returned to the table to talk to the Cardinals about an Arenado trade.
Reynolds said he thinks this is “no doubt” real because it’s a team that Arenado would agree to go to.
“The Cardinals don’t want to bring him back to camp,” Reynolds said. “What are you going to do with Nolan Gorman, who has to play? And you basically have soured the waters with this relationship. You’ve got to move him, and the Red Sox are a club that he would move to.”
The Red Sox would probably have to move Rafael Devers to the right side of the infield if they acquire Arenado.
“I agree with you completely,” Vasgersian said. “You can’t open camp with him there. Make a move. Neither party seems satisfied with the relationship at this point.”
Reynolds said Fenway Park is perfect for Arenado’s swing.
The conversation moved to Bregman and the likelihood that he returns to Houston.
“I, myself, am skeptical that he returns to the Astros,” Vasgersian said. “I think that the next deal is somewhere else.”
Reynolds said it’s getting to the point where Bregman doesn’t know where else to go. But the fact that the general manager hasn’t spoken to the agent in two or more weeks is “not good.”
“If you haven’t talked to Boras, and this offer’s been out there and your client still doesn’t have anything out there and you still haven’t talked to Scott, it doesn’t sound good for the Astros,” Reynolds said.
Are Tigers willing to commit long-term?
ESPN baseball insiders Buster Olney and Jesse Rogers spoke Wednesday morning about all of the Bregman suitors.
“Then you have the Detroit Tigers,” Olney said. “The fit with A.J. Hinch. The fact that they are in their window to win. But as you and I were talking yesterday through text, we were wondering: Would the Tigers make the type of commitment that Bregman would need to justify turning down that Astros offer? I don’t know if they would.”
“I agree with you,” Rogers said. “Scott Harris has been very deliberate about building this team. I’m not sure he’s ready to make that big leap that Scott Boras wants him to make.
“At the beginning of the offseason, I felt like he just -- if he was going to leave Houston, he’d be a Red Sox. I feel like his game, his personality would fit Boston.
“As far as the Cubs are concerned: Their top prospect is slated to play third base, so I’m not sure if it’s the smartest move to tie up a guy into his mid- to late 30s and a huge price and block him. Matt Shaw could move to second, but I think the Cubs are good at being nimble and flexible, so you’re right, if he wants a (Cody) Bellinger-type deal, they’ll be there for that. The difference is Bellinger was younger when he signed that. Why not take the security that is probably elsewhere, if you’re Bregman, than a shorter-term deal?”
Red Sox back in on Nolan Arenado
With some reports citing the Tigers and Red Sox as the two top contenders for Bregman, a recent report could put the Tigers in the driver’s seat.
Jon Morosi, of MLB Network, is reporting that the Red Sox and Cardinals have reengaged in talks about third baseman Nolan Arenado.
The Cardinals are trying to offload Arenado’s contract, seemingly at any cost. It probably wouldn’t take much in terms of prospects to acquire the aging veteran.
It feels like the Arenado interest won’t truly heat up until Bregman signs -- they’re both veteran third basemen, but Bregman is clearly the better player at this point.
But the fact that Boston is checking back in on Arenado suggests the team isn’t feeling overly confident in its chance to land Bregman.
This could obviously change on a dime. Or it could be a leverage move by the Red Sox. But on the surface, it feels like good news for the Tigers' pursuit of Bregman.
4-year offer from Cubs?
A couple of Chicago Cubs sites are reporting that the Cubs have offered Bregman a four-year deal worth at least $100 million.
If that’s the case, Bregman would have to back off all of his previous demands to accept the deal. He and his agent, Scott Boras, declined a six-year, $156 million from the Astros earlier this offseason -- and that was to stay with his preferred team.
Accepting a shorter deal for a similar annual value would not only be a financial hit for Bregman, but also a public loss for Boras, who isn’t known to concede.
It would be a surprise to see Bregman and Boras accept an offer that’s not either worth more than $156 million or a shorter deal that comes with a much higher annual value (to try to save face).
Here are the updates from Feb. 4, 2025
Offer details
Red Sox insider Rob Bradford posted some intel on the offers on the table for Bregman, and it pretty much aligns with what everyone has been reporting for the past few weeks.
Other than the Blue Jays, Bregman’s suitors are offering deals for higher annual value and fewer years, according to Bradford.
That’s not a surprise, considering Bregman is going to be 31 years old by Opening Day and he’s unlikely to be worth a huge salary beyond the next three or four seasons.
Dana Brown says Astros ‘lost’ Bregman
Astros beat writer Chandler Rome reported that general manager Dana Brown mentioned Bregman during his address at the team’s annual media luncheon.
“Dana Brown twice spoke about Alex Bregman in the past tense, saying once that the team ‘lost Bregman,‘” Rome posted.
It seems the momentum between Bregman and the Astros following the Ryan Pressly trade has stalled, though the Astros could change course at any moment and become the favorite again.
Rome said Brown was asked to clarify and conceded that, “we’re continuing to have internal conversations because he’s still available.”
Brown told Rome that he hasn’t spoken to Boras recently, and he doesn’t believe Astros owner Jim Crane has, either.
Bregman decision timeline
Eduardo Perez spoke on MLB Network Radio about when he expects Bregman and fellow free agent Pete Alonso to sign.
He talked about the disadvantages of showing up late to spring training, especially when joining a new team and meeting all new teammates.
“I would want them there on Day 1,” Perez said. “I don’t want them getting there mid-spring training and now getting to know their teammates and getting to see how it’s going to work, because then you end up losing almost the first month of the season with productivity.
“The one thing that they do need to be is healthy coming in, and I just expect both Bregman and Pete Alonso to sign before it’s mandatory for position players to get into camp.
Here are the first full-team workout dates for each of the teams pursuing Bregman:
- Chicago Cubs: Feb. 14 in Arizona (earliest in MLB).
- Detroit Tigers: Feb. 17 in Florida.
- Boston Red Sox: Feb. 17 in Florida.
- Houston Astros: Feb. 18 in Florida.
- Toronto Blue Jays: Feb. 18 in Florida.
‘My gut says Tigers will land Bregman’
In the same article that includes the ZiPS playoff projections, Dan Szymborski included his thoughts on the Bregman sweepstakes.
“The Tigers are in a position where the extra wins they’d get from Bregman would translate into a huge playoff probability boost, and though ZiPS thinks Jace Jung would be solid at third, signing Bregman would trigger a roster shuffle that would tighten up right field and the short side of Detroit’s DH platoon -- the team’s two weakest positions, according to ZiPS,” Szymborski writes.
He also said he personally expects the Tigers to land Bregman “likely very soon if it happens.”
“My gut says the Tigers will be the team to land Bregman, and likely very soon if it happens,” Szymborski said. They just shored up the rotation with the signing of Jack Flaherty at an extremely reasonable price, and as the projected fourth-place team in the AL Central right now, they have a lot to gain by adding a legitimate All-Star. There’s a way, but is there a will?"
Tigers playoff odds
Fangraphs released a chart showing the playoff odds for all 30 MLB teams with and without Bregman.
According to that chart, only the Kansas City Royals -- who are not linked to Bregman at all so far -- would see a larger increase in ZiPS playoff probability by adding Bregman.
ZiPS has the Tigers at 31.2% to make the playoffs right now. If they sign Bregman, those odds jump to 43.6%, according to the projection.
Top 5 suitors
- From multiple insiders.
According to multiple MLB insiders, the Tigers and Red Sox appeared to be the primary contenders for Bregman, as of Monday, Feb. 3.
Everyone should still be worried about the Astros, not only because Bregman has said he prefers to stay in Houston, but also because that ballpark is uniquely perfect for Bregman’s pull-heavy approach. If he returns to Houston, Isaac Paredes will apparently move to second base and Jose Altuve would move to left field, which sounds messy.
Boston is reportedly hoping Bregman will accept a four-year deal. The Red Sox want to keep Rafael Devers at third base, so Bregman would apparently move to second.
The Blue Jays seem to be a fringe contender for Bregman right now, but they also apparently have a six-year offer on the table, which makes them a contender.
It sounds like the Cubs are torn on whether they want to add Bregman, but they’re still in the mix.
The Tigers are the easiest fit because Bregman could just come in and be the everyday first baseman. It sounds like they have a five- or six-year offer on the table, but it’s unclear how much they’re offering.
‘They might not be done’
On “The Baseball Insiders” podcast, Robert Murray said while breaking down the Flaherty signing that the Tigers “might not be done” making moves this offseason.
“After Flaherty was announced yesterday, my first reaction was, ‘OK, that probably takes them out on Bregman,’” Murray said. “Not the case. They remain in on Alex Bregman. They have interest there. Does not mean a deal is going to get done, by any means, but I’m convinced that the Tigers have a shot here.
“Really, if you look at the market, how can’t they? You have the Red Sox who have just been kind of sitting still. They haven’t made any real progress here on Bregman. The Cubs have been connected a lot more in recent weeks, and we even saw Bruce Levine in Chicago mention that they’re trying there. So I guess the Cubs shouldn’t be discounted, by any means.
“But there’s been really no other strong competition for Bregman’s services.”
Murray said he doesn’t know whether the Blue Jays are out of the Bregman chase.
“I honestly have not heard that much as far as the Jays' interest goes in Bregman,” Murray said. “I’ve heard them connected to (Pete) Alonso, (Alex) Verdugo. I heard them connected to (Max) Scherzer for awhile. They’ve been poking around on a bunch of different names, but Bregman -- at least as far as my end goes -- I have not heard much there. Maybe I’m missing something, but I don’t know.”
Red Sox president makes strange comment
Sam Kennedy, the president and CEO of the Boston Red Sox, made a strange comment about the team’s pursuit of Bregman.
“I’m not allowed to talk about any specific free agent negotiations or anything, but given that he’s unsigned, I think that speaks for itself,” Kennedy said Monday at Fenway Park.
Is that a shot at Bregman and his asking price? It’s hard to say. The only thing we know for sure is that Kennedy clearly doesn’t know what “speaks for itself” means. Because his words don’t.
‘I don’t think they’re done
A.J. Pierzynski asked Cody Stavenhagen on Foul Territory whether the Tigers were done after signing Flaherty.
“I don’t think they’re done,” Stavenhagen said. “I think right-handed bat is a priority one way or another. Bregman’s obviously the big fish and I think that they’ve shaped a lot of their offseason around staying in the Alex Bregman pursuit.
“We’re going to see what happens and we can talk more about it. I think they have a chance, and even if they miss on Bregman, I’ll be curious if there is a pivot, whether that’s for a platoon guy like Randal Grichuk, or maybe you circle back to the Nolan Arenado idea.
“Plan A, I think, is to get Bregman, but there’s a strong argument they need a right-handed bat, regardless, to really strengthen this lineup.”
Tigers feeling ‘more optimistic’
In the wake of the Flaherty news, Cody Stavenhagen said the Tigers are feeling more optimistic about their chances to land Bregman.
“Tigers people seem to be feeling more optimistic about the Bregman situation,” Stavenhagen said. “I don’t know. This has been a whole weird saga, but people I’ve talked to seem to just be in good moods the past few days. I don’t know when Bregman’s going to sign.
“But that feeling that once Houston jumped in it was going to be over -- clearly he hasn’t signed with the Astros. (Houston general manager) Dana Brown said this past week that he hasn’t even actually talked to Scott Boras yet. It doesn’t seem like that’s going to be a cut-and-dry deal.
“We don’t know what the Tigers have offered, but whatever it is, they seem to feel good about their offer. It’ll be great whenever we can get a resolution on the Bregman saga.”
He said his sense is that the Tigers' standing is as optimistic as they’ve felt.
Tigers still pursuing Bregman
Hours after reports surfaced that the Tigers had signed Flaherty, ESPN’s Buster Olney chimed in to clarify that the Tigers are still very much in the mix for Bregman.
“After signing Jack Flaherty and augmenting their rotation, the Tigers are one of the teams pursuing Alex Bregman,” Olney posted on X.
