The Detroit Tigers were actively pursuing Alex Bregman throughout the offseason, and reports suggested that they were among the top contenders for his signature. However, Bregman ultimately inked a three-year, $120 million contract with the Boston Red Sox earlier this week. It appears that the Tigers may have been the highest bidders, presenting a six-year, $171.5 million offer, which included an opt-out option after the 2026 season. Despite this lucrative proposal, Bregman opted for Boston’s shorter contract featuring opt-outs after both the 2025 and 2026 seasons.

Scott Harris, the Tigers’ president of baseball operations, expressed to the media (including Chris McCosky of the Detroit News) that he was not disheartened by Bregman’s choice to sign with Boston. “We extended a strong offer to Alex Bregman, but he decided to go in another direction. That’s perfectly fine. We anticipated this possibility and planned accordingly,” Harris stated.

The Tigers’ aggressive approach toward Bregman marked a significant change, as it was the first instance since Harris took the helm in September 2022 where Detroit demonstrated a willingness to invest in a long-term free agent. Prior signings like Jack Flaherty and Kenta Maeda, who received two-year contracts, were the only players to join the Tigers during Harris’s relatively short time in charge. Harris commended team owner Chris Ilitch for providing “the means to pursue pivotal free agents,” suggesting that the strategy prioritizes building around a young core rather than simply spending on high-profile players.

“We are not aiming to be the kind of organization that is overly eager to sign a particular free agent or whose future success relies on a single player,” Harris remarked. “We need to rely on the young talent we’re developing. We believe that the moves we made this offseason have enhanced our emerging group without hindering the growth of our young players.”

In addition to Flaherty, the Tigers secured Alex Cobb to strengthen their starting rotation and signed veteran relievers Tommy Kahnle and John Brebbia on one-year deals. On the position-player front, they signed Gleyber Torres to a one-year, $14 million agreement to become the new regular second baseman, allowing Colt Keith to transition to first base.

Torres, a right-handed hitter, adds much-needed balance to a lineup that has leaned predominantly to the left. Signing a high-profile player like Bregman would have further enhanced this balance and significantly improved the team’s offensive capabilities, though Harris remains open to finding ways to meet this need.

“There haven’t been many options available for us to acquire a second right-handed bat,” the president of baseball operations mentioned. “We don’t anticipate that coming from free agency. We will look into trade possibilities while feeling confident in our current roster, which we believe will continue to improve.”

With a focus on internal development, Harris highlighted players like Jace Jung, Matt Vierling, and Andy Ibanez as key in-house candidates for the third base position. “There will be a competition in spring training” to determine how playing time is allocated, with Harris noting that “we have a very skilled manager in [A.J. Hinch] who will navigate the best matchups for these players.”