Alex Bregman will certainly not have any fans in Detroit for a while. The third baseman spurned the Tigers last offseason and made bank this time around by signing a five-year, $175 million deal with the Chicago Cubs.
Signing that deal cements his status as a villain amongst Tigers fans. Bregman turned down a six-year, $171.5 million offer from the Tigers last offseason, choosing instead to sign with the Boston Red Sox on a deal with opt-outs so he could hit the free agent market again and earn a big contract.
Breaking: Third baseman Alex Bregman and the Chicago Cubs are in agreement on a five-year, $175M contract, sources tell @JeffPassan.
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Bregman proves he never wanted the Tigers by embracing Red Sox and Cubs
It proved to be a smart move by Bregman, but Tigers fans can't help but feel like the team is being frugal by passing on Bregman this time around. The team largely steered clear of him, likely wanting to avoid a repeat of last offseason's embarrassment.
To make matters worse, Bregman has been effusive in thanking the Red Sox for his time with the organization and has gone on a sports tour of Chicago already, attending a Blackhawks game, a Bulls game, and he also plans on going to see the Chicago Bears in the playoffs.
Alas, maybe this whole situation will turn out okay for the Tigers. The 32-year-old was decent for the Red Sox last year as he slashed .273/.360/.462 with 18 home runs and 62 RBI. However, the Cubs have committed a lot of money to him and it is questionable whether he can keep that level of production up into his mid-30's.
It would not be a shock if the Tigers look wise in rolling with Colt Keith at third base going forward. Keith is just 24 and he had a solid season in 2025, slashing .256/.333/.413 with 13 home runs and 45 RBI. Maybe he will end up being just as, if not more than, productive than Bregman over the next few seasons. If he is, that would make the Tigers feel a lot better about the whole situation.
Bregman can have his fun in Chicago, but the Tigers should be just fine at third base going forward even without the All-Star at the hot corner.
