Unexpected candidates emerge in Tigers' chase for Alex Bregman in free agency

The Detroit Tigers appeared to be emerging as frontrunners to land third baseman Alex Bregman in free agency in recent weeks, but a couple of other teams have seemingly thrown their hats into the ring and said, "not so fast."

Jon Heyman of the New York Post said on a live stream for Bleacher Report that, while the Tigers are still considered a favorite to land Bregman, they aren't necessarily the favorite. Heyman reported that the Toronto Blue Jays have joined Detroit as a frontrunner and that the Chicago Cubs are an "outside possibility." The Boston Red Sox, who were once considered a frontrunner to secure Bregman's services, seem to have fallen out of the running entirely.

It's entirely possible that the rumors linking Bregman to the Blue Jays are simply a tactic from Bregman's camp (namely, agent Scott Boras) to put some pressure on the Tigers to up their offer, as there remains a reported gap in value between the two sides. However, if the Tigers and the Blue Jays are indeed neck-and-neck to sign Bregman, his choice between the two will say a lot about his goals in free agency.

Blue Jays, Cubs emerge as competitors in Tigers' chase for Alex Bregman in free agency

Bregman's fit with the Tigers is an obvious one. In addition to being a power hitter and a third baseman – two things Detroit desperately needs – he has a history with manager AJ Hinch, as well as veteran experience and a winning pedigree that would be especially valuable for a young Tigers team on the rise.

The Blue Jays, meanwhile, have had a rather unimpressive start to the offseason that has seen them miss out on other top free agents. While they might be more willing to spend on Bregman than the Tigers are, they are coming off a last-place finish in the American League East in 2024. If signing Bregman is their lone impact move of the offseason, it's hard to see how that would be enough to move the needle in terms of turning Toronto into a contender.

Understandably, Boras isn't looking to give anyone a discount on one of the top free agent bats in this year's class, but signing with Detroit would give Bregman the best chance to win. If the Tigers are serious about landing him, though, they had better be ready to pony up.

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