Alex Bregman joins Boston Red Sox over Detroit Tigers as free agent

On February 13, 2025By Littum

Detroit Tigers Missing Third Baseman Alex Bregman in free agency.

Bregman, who will be 31 at the end of March, signed a three -year contract of $ 120 million with Boston Red Sox, told several people with knowledge of the free press agreement on condition of anonymity because the deal is not official. The contract with Red Sox includes opt-out clauses after the seasons 2025 and 2026.

The Tigers-Led by President of Baseball Operations Scott Harris made a competitive offer to Bregman: Six-year contract worth $ 171.5 million (with some deferred money) and opt-out clause after the 2026 season.

Bregman chose Red Sox over the Tigers.

The biggest difference between Tigers and Red Sox?

The tigers offered $ 28.58 million per year. Season over six years, while Red Sox offered $ 40 million per year. Season over three years. The tigers included an opt-out clause after the 2026 season, while Red Sox included an opt-out clause after the seasons 2025 and 2026.

By choosing Red Sox, Bregman gets $ 40 million this season (more than the $ 30.5 million he made last season) and gets tested the free agent market again next season.

Without Bregman, the Tigers have clubhouse leader Matt VierlingA right -handed hitter and view Jace JungA left -handed hitter, as the projected third Basemen as spring training is underway, with 43 days until opening day.

Vierling, 28, has started 74 games on the third base in his 443 game MLB career spans four seasons; Jung, 24, is a defender below average of the third base with high upside -offs.

“We would very much like him and everything similar,” Vierling said Wednesday morning when asked about Bregman Sweepstakes. “I am preparing to play the third base, and then if we get him, of course I will change.”

Bregman is one of the best all-round players in baseball.

The Tigers, Cubs and Red Sox were the finalists to sign him, with the kids offering four years, $ 120 million, and opting out of clauses after the seasons 2026 and 2027. Houston Astros and Toronto Blue Jays had an interest but were not in the mixture at the end .

Bregman, a two-time all-star, hit .260 with 26 home runs, 44 walks and 86 strikes over 145 games for Astros in the 2024 season. He has an average of 25 homers and 154 matches in the last three seasons and sent a .798 ops. He makes smart swing decisions, puts the ball into play in an elite speed, limits strikes and pulls walks.

The two-time world champion spent the first nine years of his MLB career with Astros from 2016-24.

“We have had several conversations with teams and owners,” said Scott Boras, Bregman’s agent, December 11 at MLB’s winter meetings, “and we all know what’s coming after an A (Alex) and AB (Bregman) is a C – Champion.

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Bregman has close relationship with two people in Tigers’ Organization: Manager Aj Hinch and the bullpen catcher Chris Chinea. Hinch managed Bregman from 2016-19 with Astros and won the World Series together in 2017; Chinea was Bregman’s College teammate at LSU from 2013-15 plus his roommate for two of these years.

These relationships with employees in Tigers were not enough to pry Bregman away from the average annual value of $ 40 million from Red Sox.

“I’ve pretty much kept me away from talking about it because he’s not here,” Hinch said Wednesday morning when asked directly about Bregman’s free agency. “I have tried not to go into Public Relations Banges to try to recruit him here. But he can help any bigger league team. Time will show where it is and what he chooses. Special guy.”

Bregman is it Projected by Fangraphs to be worth 4.0 fwar in the 2025 -seasonWhich would be his fourth consecutive year with at least 4.0 fwar.

His 14 fwar from 2022-24 ranked 18. Among 230 qualified position playersIn front of the fellow third Basemen Austin Riley (13.3 Fwar), Nolan Arenado (13.1 Fwar), Rafael Devers (12.5 Fwar) and Matt Chapman (12.3 Fwar), who only drew Manny Machado (14.1 Fwar) and José Ramírez (17.1 Fwar).

Meanwhile, the tigers have only two position players projected to more than 3.0 Fwar in 2025: Left Fielder Riley Greene (4.2 Fwar) and other Baseman Gleyber Torres (3.0 Fwar).

Not only would Bregman have improved Tigers’ violation, but his veteran presence would have given unique leadership to younger players, especially when Tigers is trying to win the World Series for the first time since 1984.

It’s a big miss for Tigers.

But the Tigers gave a competitive offer to Bregman.

Contact Evan Petzold at [email protected] Or follow him @Evanpetzold.

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