Tigers' Jack Flaherty signing was either Alex Bregman backup plan or bait

For a large portion of the offseason, the Detroit Tigers have been connected to one of the biggest bats on the free agent market — third baseman Alex Bregman. Depending on who you listen to, Detroit was either among the most aggressive teams in Bregman sweepstakes or a fringe landing spot where he had little to no interest in signing. Complicating matters was the presence of top prospect Jace Jung who could (and probably should) factor into the Tigers' 2025 infield plans.

On Sunday night, things took quite the turn when the Tigers signed pitcher Jack Flaherty to a two-year deal with an opt-out after the first year. A return to Detroit for Flaherty had been floated previously, but the move still came as a bit of surprise, especially given how much Flaherty flirted with the Los Angeles Dodgers this offseason.

But what does the Flaherty signing means for the Tigers' pursuit of Bregman? ESPN insider Buster Olney provided some insight as to the team's thought process prior to the announcement of Flaherty's agreement.

Tigers' Jack Flaherty signing could signal that Detroit is officially out on Alex Bregman

In a perfect world, the Tigers adding Flaherty could be used in negotiations with Bregman as proof that Detroit will be a contender in the short-term. It seems likely that Bregman would still have to reduce his asking price a bit for that too happen, but adding a pitcher the caliber of Flaherty to their rotation might make joining the Tigers more appealing.

However, Olney seemed to believe strongly before the Flaherty signing that Bregman was Detroit's primary target this offseason and if talks there failed, a pivot to Flaherty made sense. With the Flaherty deal now complete, there is at least some reason to believe that Detroit had just enough payroll to sign one or the other, and they ended up choosing the 29-year-old pitcher.

Bregman's free agency is now in a very curious position. His agent Scott Boras thrives when his clients have multiple suitors bidding against one another. If Olney was right in his original assessment of the Tigers' plans, Bregman's market just shrank with the loss of Tigers as a suitor. The Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox remain viable options, but neither team has been willing to reach Bregman's lofty contract demands to this point.

Of course, there is still a chance that Detroit could linger on the outskirts of the Bregman market. Signing Flaherty represents the Tigers' attempts to make some noise in 2025, and if they are willing to spend on their rotation, there is at least a small chance they could still make a play for Bregman. The odds of that happening are smaller than they were before the Flaherty deal, but that doesn't necessarily mean all hope is lost.

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