The Kansas City Royals know they need to keep an eye on the Detroit Tigers. In 2024, the two AL Central teams finished the regular season with identical 86-76 records, both advancing to the postseason — the first time since 2015 for the Royals, and since 2014 for the Tigers. The Royals dodged a bullet last week when elite closer Ryan Pressly declined to waive his no-trade clause for the Tigers and was instead traded to the Chicago Cubs, and now, it appears Kansas City has gotten lucky again.
Former Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman — unquestionably the best position player still available in free agency this offseason — has been linked to the Tigers since before the Winter Meetings, but reportedly, negotiations have stalled. According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, the Tigers were unwilling to meet Bregman’s ambitious $200 million price tag, and as a result, the two-time All-Star has turned his attention elsewhere.
Detroit Tigers balk at Alex Bregman’s asking price
At the start of the offseason, The Athletic ranked Bregman in 7th place on their list of the top 50 free agents on the market, and yet, the 30-year-old is somehow still available. In 624 plate appearances for the Astros last year, Bregman slashed .260/.315/.453 with 26 home runs and 75 RBI, but it wasn’t just his performance at the plate that was impressive. He recorded 6 Outs Above Average (OAA) and a Fielding Run Value (FRV) of 5 to rank in the 91st and 81st percentiles of all qualified fielders, respectively, earning the first Gold Glove Award of his career.
Bregman became a free agent at the end of 2024, but the Astros were keen to bring the star third baseman back to Houston. Going into the Winter Meetings at the start of December, MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart reported that the Astros had offered Bregman a six-year, $156 million contract — a franchise-record in terms of dollars — but he rejected the offer, instead wanting a deal closer to the $200 million mark.
Since then, Bregman’s chances of returning to Houston have been described as “very low” by FOX 26, and the two-time World Series champion seemed to turn his attention elsewhere, including to Detroit. This winter, the Tigers are in the market for a right-handed hitting third baseman, and Bregman would be a game-changing addition their roster as they look to secure a second consecutive playoff campaign — but Bregman’s ambitious price tag has once again become an issue.
On January 21, Evan Petzold from the Detroit Free Press reported that the Tigers’ negotiations with Bregman had “reached a standstill.”
“The gap in perceived value between the Tigers and Bregman still exists,” Petzold wrote. “For example, the Tigers refuse to pay $200 million and Bregman refuses to accept a short-term deal. Talks between the two sides have reached a standstill, even though there’s mutual interest.”
Six days later, Nightengale reported that the Tigers made an offer to Bregman, as did the Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox, “but no one was willing to give him $200 million.” Fortunately for the Royals — who would have to face him as a division rival if he signed with the Tigers — Bregman is reportedly now back in discussions with the Astros.
“The Astros, according to the two executives, reached out to Scott Boras, Bregman’s agent, on Wednesday to determine if Bregman still had interest in returning,” Nightengale wrote. “Bregman informed the Astros he still had strong interest in coming back, but needed a resolution quickly since he already had teams willing to give him multi-year deals.”
In 2025, the Royals are looking to prove that their comeback season last year wasn’t just a one-off fluke, but the beginning of a contention era. Similarly, the Tigers are coming off their first playoff berth in a decade, and want to secure another one this year. Considering the two teams finished the 2024 regular season with identical records, any move the other makes could tip the scales.
The Royals aren’t entirely out of the woods, and the Tigers could still pull off a deal to sign Bregman, especially if the Astros don’t go above their initial offer and he gets desperate. Still, Detroit’s refusal to meet Bregman’s $200 price tag makes a deal unlikely, especially now that Houston’s back involved and spring training is creeping closer.
And all of that bodes very well for Kansas City’s chances in the AL Central this season.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source kingsofkauffman.com ’
