Will Detroit Tigers Finally Acquire Dream Third Baseman From Red Sox in Free Agency?

With the best record in baseball so far, the Detroit Tigers are exceeding their expectations this season.

As the year rolls on for the Tigers, the franchise has a comfortable lead in the American League Central and is proving that the second half of the last campaign was no fluke.

This is a team that there is a lot to like about, led by one of the best pitching staffs in baseball. With a rotation led by Tarik Skubal, and a talented bullpen that has a lot of high leverage options, there are few flaws when it comes to those two units.

Furthermore, the lineup has been better than expected with a couple of surprise players like Javier Baez and Spencer Torkelson having great seasons.

However, despite this team being one of the best in baseball, they do have a glaring hole at third base that wasn’t addressed in the offseason. After missing out on their top choice over the winter, Detroit was never able to pivot for an upgrade.

With the Detroit Tigers Get Another Chance?

Jim Bowden of The Athletic (subscription required) recently wrote about the possibility of the Tigers once again being in the mix for Alex Bregman this coming offseason.

“His free-agent market should be even more robust than last offseason with the Red Sox joined by the Yankees, Tigers, Astros, Phillies, and even the Dodgers; he would be an upgrade for all of them at the hot corner.”

Even though it always felt like Bregman and Detroit were a perfect fit for each other, the Boston Red Sox came swooping in to sign the former Al-Star.

So far, the slugger has been incredible with his new team. He has slashed .297/.381/.554 with 11 home runs and 35 RBI. Bregman is trending toward being an All-Star, and could be in the AL MVP conversation if Aaron Judge ever cools off.

Due to the nature of the contract that he signed, the former All-Star will have the ability to opt-out after this year and test the market once again. Based on the amazing campaign that he is having, it would be shocking to not see him do that as of now.

If he hits the open market once again, he will continue to be a great option for the Tigers, who were very interested in signing him last winter.

For a team that appears to be a title contender as of now, they will have to think about an upgrade at the hot corner for the rest of this season. However, the possibility of pursuing Bregman next winter will be an option.

Perhaps next time, the results will be different.