The Detroit Tigers did not end up signing Alex Bregman this offseason, but it certainly was not for a lack of trying.
Word emerged on Wednesday night that the former All-Star third baseman Bregman had finally signed with a team in free agency, earning a three-year, $120 million contract from the Boston Red Sox (a deal with some other interesting stipulations as well).
Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press soon reported on the contract offer that the Tigers had extended to Bregman — six years and $171.5 million. That Detroit offer to Bregman also reportedly came with some deferred money as well as an opt-out clause after the 2026 season.
In the end, the 30-year-old Bregman turned down over $28.5 million per year from the Tigers (and an additional $51.5 million over the life of his contract) for more money upfront from the Red Sox ($40 million per year) and the ability to test free agency again even sooner.
For Bregman, a career .272 hitter who batted .260 last season, the decision to decline a six-year deal is a surprise as he was said throughout free agency to be looking for a longer-term contract. But with at least a few more solid years of baseball still seemingly left in him, Bregman is now betting that another dip into free agency down the road could end up being even more lucrative for him.
The Red Sox and the Tigers were long considered to be the co-favorites for Bregman, despite a renewed late push from his longtime club, the Houston Astros. While Detroit’s offer ended up being bigger than the one that Houston had on the table for Bregman, $40 million per year over three years from Boston ended up doing the trick instead.
