Free agent prediction Tigers fans hoped for at trade deadline isn't so ideal anymore

Even fans still frustrated with the Tigers' trade deadline have to acknowledge that the front office was right in not overpaying for a bat. Detroit's offense has certainly regressed since the first half, but welcoming back Parker Meadows, Riley Greene finding some consistency, and Kerry Carpenter remaining solid as ever in terms of power has made the lineup the least of the Tigers' worries.

At the deadline, a large contingent of fans desperately wanted to see the Tigers reunite with homegrown Tiger Eugenio Suárez, by far the most sought-after bat on the market, who also expressed interest in coming back to Detroit. Suárez ended up reuniting with Mariners instead.

He's a free agent at the end of the season, and Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter predicted that he'll land with the Tigers come 2026.

It sort of makes sense. Tigers fans really wanted to see him come back at the deadline, signing him would mean that the front office wouldn't have to forfeit any of the prospects they've been hoarding (whether or not they'd actually be willing to pay is a separate issue), and the Tigers' third base issue is longstanding. Or is it?

Bleacher Report predicts Tigers reunion with Eugenio Suárez in offseason

There are a few issues here. The Tigers may not need a third baseman at all if they're content with how Colt Keith has been playing and would rather re-sign Gleyber Torres or promote internally (Max Anderson is due to arrive in the majors next year) to take care of second base. Although all signs point to them chasing Alex Bregman again if he opts out of his Red Sox deal (which is expected to happen), they may only be willing to pay top dollar for a third baseman if it's him.

Even if the Tigers were ready to spend at an unprecedented level for anyone else this offseason (and they're probably not), Suárez has been struggling since he was traded back to Seattle. He's hitting .184 with a .679 OPS through 38 games, down from .248/.896 in Arizona. It's no surprise that his home run rate has dropped drastically in a stadium like T-Mobile, but per Baseball Savant he'd probably be hitting even fewer at Comerica.

The Tigers just aren't likely to go out of their way to pay Suárez when they'll be busy trying to make a competitive offer to Bregman, and if his decline in the second half continues they'd be right to stay away.