The Athletic names underwhelming player as best Alex Bregman fallback plan for Tigers

Outside of Alex Bregman and some solid bullpen arms, it's slim pickings left out there on the free agent market. Pete Alonso came off the board last week when he re-signed with the Mets on an incredibly below-market two year, $54 million contract (with an opt-out after the first year), leaving Bregman the only position player from most early-offseason "top 50 free agent" lists who's still looking for a new home.

The Tigers' pursuit of Bregman has been exhausting and it's hard to tell where they stand anymore, but Detroit will need to have a backup plan in the event that he chooses the Cubs, Red Sox or Astros instead of the Tigers. Scott Harris has said Detroit is still looking for that righty bat.

The Athletic proposed a Tigers Plan B who's still on the market but would be far from ideal: Justin Turner, who just turned 40 in November. He will be going into his 17th major league season if he gets a new deal for 2025, and he's been a journeyman over the last two seasons ever since he left the Dodgers.

The Athletic names Justin Turner as a fit for Detroit in free agency if Tigers don't get Alex Bregman

Turner was outstanding during his nine years in LA — he batted .296 with a .865 OPS, was a two-time All-Star and received MVP votes three times — and he was still pretty good after he left the Dodgers in free agency for a one-year stint with the Red Sox. However, 2024 marked his worst full season by fWAR since he became an everyday player with the Dodgers. He split time between the Blue Jays and Mariners, and although he still managed to get on base a fair amount, his slugging dropped dramatically.

There are also a couple of reasons Turner wouldn't be a perfect fit. The Tigers don't seem interested in a full-time DH, and first base will be occupied by Colt Keith with Gleyber Torres posted at second. Turner could play third, but he hasn't spent a significant amount of time there since 2022.

Getting him in lieu of Bregman would also just be a massive letdown after fans have gotten their hopes up for a huge free agent splash. It's true that both are declining, but Bregman is 30 and Turner is 40. There's no question about which one would be the more preferable addition.

Unfortunately, Turner would probably be very gettable for the Tigers. Wherever he goes next, it'll almost certainly be on a one-year deal with an affordable price tag, which are the kind of contracts the Tigers love to dole out. He'd fill the righty bat gap, sure, but it'd still be disappointing as a redirect from an elite talent who can actually help the Tigers' championship aspirations.