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Detroit Tigers, Alex Bregman negotiations at standstill as spring training nears
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- Detroit Tigers, Alex Bregman negotiations at standstill as spring training nears
Third baseman Alex Bregman — the consensus best position player remaining in free agency — is ready to sign a contract as spring training approaches.
The Detroit Tigers remain interested, but negotiations are at a standstill with less than one month until the first full-squad workout in spring training, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. Detroit needs a right-handed hitting third baseman and has the payroll flexibility to lock up a franchise-altering free agent.
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It's unclear if other teams are more actively pursuing Bregman.
Bregman, who turns 31 in late March, has been courted by the Tigers , Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays , among other teams, after rejecting a six-year, $156 million contract to re-sign with the Houston Astros because he wanted $200 million.
Houston Astros third base Alex Bregman hits a single during the sixth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on Jun 12, 2024 in San Francisco, California.
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The gap in perceived value between the Tigers and Bregman still exists. For example, the Tigers refuse to pay $200 million and Bregman refuses to accept a short-term deal with opt outs. Talks between the two sides have reached a standstill, even though there's mutual interest .
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"It's really a matter of his decision-making and theirs, about how you can close up that gap," agent Scott Boras told USA Today reporter Bob Nightengale recently about Bregman's market. "There's substantial interest (in long-term) deals."
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The Blue Jays impacted the free-agent market Monday by signing outfielder Anthony Santander to a five-year, $92.5 million contract, which extends to six years and $110 million if the Blue Jays void his opt-out clause after the third season. The Tigers showed interest in Santander as a potential fallback option to Bregman but were never considered frontrunners.
As for Bregman, the Tigers have to decide whether to lead the market or follow the market. So far, it seems like the Tigers are following the market for Bregman by waiting for a different team to make the first move, then jumping into the mix.
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Following the market could both help and hurt the Tigers' chances of signing Bregman.
The best-case scenario for Detroit? Bregman receives no other long-term offers, leaving the Tigers as the last team standing. The worst-case scenarios? Bregman decides to sign elsewhere without giving the Tigers a chance to counter, leaving the Tigers without control of the market, or he opts for a short-term deal, attracting more teams into the bidding.
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With Santander off the board, here are the top five position players available in free agency as spring training nears: Bregman, first baseman Pete Alonso , infielder Ha-Seong Kim , outfielder Jurickson Profar and outfielder Alex Verdugo .
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The Tigers don't need a first baseman after signing Gleyber Torres to play second base and moving Colt Keith to first base, so Bregman represents the final opportunity to make an All-Star-caliber upgrade to the offense via free agency.
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The only other option lives on the trade market, as the St. Louis Cardinals are desperate to trade third baseman Nolan Arenado — and the remaining three years on his contract while paying down some of the $74 million — before Opening Day.
But Bregman is the top prize.
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A phone call or text message from either side could spark negotiations again.
Picking up the phone could go a long way.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold .
Listen to our weekly Tigers show "Days of Roar" every Monday afternoon on demand at freep.com, Apple Podcasts , Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at freep.com/podcasts .
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers, Alex Bregman negotiations at standstill as spring training nears
