Top Landing Spots for Free Agent Alex Bregman

Detroit Tigers

The Tigers were Bregman’s most aggressive potential suitor last winter, reportedly offering him a six-year, $171 million contract, and many of their same selling points still apply.

They still have a talented young core, one that just proved 2024 was not a fluke by making the ALDS for a second consecutive season. However, that core is still in need of a veteran leader.

They also still have a lineup lacking in right-handed thump, as Spencer Torkelson and pending free agent Gleyber Torres were the only righties to post an OPS above .700 in 2025.

Perhaps most importantly, the Tigers still have A.J. Hinch, who managed Bregman for the first three years of his MLB career.

Of course, the Tigers had all these advantages last year, offered the most total money, and still lost out to the Red Sox. This time around, they not only have to contend with Boston’s incumbent advantage but also ace Tarik Skubal’s looming free agency as well.

The reigning Cy Young Award winner is entering his last year of team control, and the New York Post’s Jon Heyman recently reported that the two sides are nearly $250 million apart on extension talks.

Signing both Bregman and Skubal to long-term deals in the same offseason would be a tall ask for even the high-spending Mets and Dodgers, but it feels like an impossible task for the Tigers.

Since diving headfirst into their rebuild in 2017, the club has only signed two free agents to contracts totaling over $50 million: a four-year, $77 million deal for starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez and a six-year, $140 million deal for shortstop Javier Báez.

Even if we give the franchise the benefit of the doubt that last year’s modest free-agency foray for Jack Flaherty and Gleyber Torres represents a new era of roster construction, outbidding the world for Bregman and meeting Skubal’s demands would be wildly out of character.

The Tigers will likely only be able to afford one, and extending their homegrown ace, who is likely to bring home his second straight Cy Young Award this November, will almost certainly take priority.

If the Tigers do decide to break the bank, however, it’s hard to imagine a cleaner fit. The club has a clear need at third base with 2022 first-round pick Jace Jung looking overmatched in his brief MLB stint, and the presence of Bregman would allow 2024 All-Star Zach McKinstry to transition back to his natural utility role.

Bregman’s bat would provide an immediate boost to middle-of-the-pack offense, while his veteran presence and championship experience would be a welcome addition to a team that just blew a 15.5-game division lead.

The Tigers need a player exactly like Bregman, and the only question is whether they are willing to step up to the plate.

Cincinnati Reds

The Reds are the dark horse in these sweepstakes and one that wasn’t in the running last time around, but it’s a partnership that makes a lot of sense.

The club is coming off its first full-season postseason appearance since 2012, an achievement largely the result of an electric starting rotation that ranked fourth in the majors in quality starts (not to mention the stunning collapse of the Mets).

Their offense, on the other hand, ranked in the bottom half of the league in both home runs and average and didn’t have a single hitter post an OPS+ over 110.

Two years ago, it looked like the Reds’ offense would be what led them out of purgatory, but it’s safe to say that their group of talented young position players has not met expectations.

Matt McLain looked out of sorts after missing the entire 2024 season with a shoulder injury and posted the fourth-worst OPS of any qualified hitter. Christian Encarnacion-Strand once again dealt with injuries and ineffectiveness and spent most of the season in Triple-A. Spencer Steer and Noelvi Marte flashed their power potential but were still just average offensive performers.

Even Elly De La Cruz, who played in all 162 games and made his second consecutive All-Star team, took a step back in his age-23 season, stealing 30 fewer bases than in 2024 and losing 30 points off his slugging percentage.

With so many hitters stagnating in their offensive development, it’s clear that the Reds could use a veteran voice in their clubhouse. Bregman could play a role similar to the one he held in Boston, where he took top prospects Marcelo Mayer and Roman Anthony under his wing.

The appeals for Bregman are clear as well, as he would get the benefit of playing in one of the most hitter-friendly parks in baseball under future Hall of Fame manager Terry Francona.

The Reds, however, are a dark horse for a reason, as being serious players for Bregman would represent a staggering change of philosophy. The two largest free-agent deals in franchise history are the four-year, $64 million deals they gave Mike Moustakas and Nick Castellanos, a total that is less than half of what Bregman is likely to command.

Even if the Reds are willing to go into the nine figures, they would still have to convince Bregman that a team that has not won a playoff game since 2012 is a serious World Series contender.

The far more likely scenario is that the Reds use their pitching surplus to trade for a cheaper bat with team control. Still, we have seen surprising free agency pairings before, and the fit here is too obvious to ignore. Keep an eye on the Reds.

Toronto Blue Jays

This would be quite the story, wouldn’t it? The Toronto Blue Jays have already done the unexpected in 2025, going from worst to first in the American League East and winning their first American League title since 1993. Stealing Bregman from under the Red Sox’s noses would be the ultimate power move and a sign that the Blue Jays are serious about contending for years to come.

Unlike some of the other teams on this list, a pursuit of Bregman would not be out of character for the Blue Jays. They have taken big but ultimately unsuccessful swings for superstars like Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto and closed the deal with a number of mid-tier free-agents such as Kevin Gausman, George Springer and Anthony Santander.

Though hardly on the level of the Dodgers or Mets, the Blue Jays have proven they will pay up for a player they believe in, and Bregman, whose elite bat-to-ball skills mesh perfectly with the Blue Jays’ offensive philosophy, could prove to be another example.

The biggest question isn’t so much whether the Blue Jays could afford Bregman but whether they will view him as a priority. Even if shortstop Bo Bichette walks in free agency, the team will still have an abundance of infield options.

Three-time Gold Glove winner Andrés Giménez is locked in at second base with four years and $86 million left on his contract, Addison Barger should have the inside track to the third base job after a promising sophomore campaign, and October standout Ernie Clement is entirely capable of taking over at shortstop.

Given that the Blue Jays will return most of the offensive core that just led the majors in average, upgrading their pitching staff will likely take far greater precedence.

The rotation has some question marks after ace Kevin Gausman, standout prospect Trey Yesavage, and trade deadline acquisition Shane Bieber (who surprisingly decided to pick up his player option and stick with Toronto in 2026). Then there is the matter of upgrading the bullpen that finished 16th in the majors in ERA and blew multiple critical leads in the postseason.

In a perfect world, the Blue Jays would love to add a player of Bregman’s ability and pedigree, but they may have bigger fish to fry.

New York Mets

The Mets are still licking their wounds after an embarrassing September collapse kept them out of the postseason. It’s uncertain exactly where the Mets go from here, but one thing is clear: They are going to spend money.

Besides giving Juan Soto a record-setting $765 million deal, the Mets mostly shopped in the bargain bin last winter, and it ended up costing them in the end. Much of the attention will center around their volatile rotation, but adding a proven winner like Bregman could be a much-needed antidote for a team that seemingly couldn’t get out of its own way last season.

While the Tigers and Red Sox in particular have clear openings at the hot corner, there are a couple of things that need to happen for the Mets to have a spot for Bregman.

First, they will need to have free agent Pete Alonso sign elsewhere, a move that seems unlikely given how beloved the Polar Bear is in Queens, but a possibility nonetheless. Alonso’s departure will allow Mark Vientos, a talented hitter but one of the league’s worst third base defenders, to shift over to first base.

Finally, the Mets will need to either move Brett Baty to second base or use him in a trade package for a frontline starter.

It goes without saying that there are a lot of things that need to go right for the Mets to even be in a position to sign Bregman.

Yet given the sheer magnitude of their 2025 demise, the amount of needs on their roster, and the financial flexibility Steve Cohen’s team will always have, it’s certain that president of baseball operations David Stearns will consider all possibilities, and that includes outbidding the world for Bregman.

Boston Red Sox

While other teams will make their pitches to Bregman, a reunion with the Red Sox still makes the most sense. The two seemed like a natural fit all last winter, given Bregman’s relationship with manager Alex Cora and how the Green Monster’s friendly dimensions paired perfectly with his right-handed swing.

Though a late-season slump and the club’s early postseason exit left a bad taste in everybody’s mouth, Bregman’s first season in Boston was an unequivocal success, as he posted his highest OPS since 2019 and quickly became the leader of a young Red Sox team.

There is no question that both sides would welcome a reunion, but it isn’t quite that simple. The Red Sox were heavily reluctant to make a long-term offer last winter and were only able to sign Bregman by blowing all the other teams out of the water in terms of average annual value. That same approach may not work this time.

In an interview with MassLive’s Chris Cotillo in June, Bregman expressed a desire for his next deal to allow him to finish his career with a club.

“For sure. For sure,” said Bregman. “That’s definitely a very high priority.”

Throughout John Henry’s tenure as principal owner, the Red Sox have been reluctant to give long-term deals to players in their 30s. The successful marriage between the two parties may give the club an incumbent advantage, but that might not be good enough if their competitors are willing to offer six-year deals again.