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Why free-agent Alex Bregman can help Detroit Tigers on the field, behind the scenes
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- Why free-agent Alex Bregman can help Detroit Tigers on the field, behind the scenes
Free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman appears a perfect fit for the Detroit Tigers as one of the best right-handed hitting third basemen in baseball, but his rare combination of veteran presence, respected leadership and postseason experience sets him apart from other players.
The Tigers are interested in signing Bregman , but there is a gap in value between the two sides in negotiations.
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The 30-year-old remains a free agent with less than 45 days until two important spring training dates: The Tigers' first full-squad workout is Feb. 17, and the first exhibition game is Feb. 22. Other teams with interest in Bregman include the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays . (Meanwhile, the Tigers also have interest in outfielder Anthony Santander .)
Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman walks on the field before the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Minute Maid Park on Sept. 22, 2024 in Houston.
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But what, exactly, would Bregman bring to a new team in 2025?
Robert Ford , the radio voice of the Houston Astros , has watched Bregman since his MLB debut in 2016 and has an idea of his intangibles.
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"The leadership, the professionalism, someone who's always going to be accountable, someone who cares, who wants to win and who wants to be successful," Ford said Monday on the Free Press' "Days of Roar" podcast . "There's also something to be said for, he's played in big games, he's played in the World Series, and he has performed well in big games in his career. There isn't a stage that you can put Alex Bregman on where the bright lights are going to bother him."
Bregman spent the first nine seasons of his MLB career as a member of the Astros, from 2016-24.
Earlier this offseason, Bregman turned down a six-year, $156 million offer to re-sign with the Astros. When negotiations stalled, the Astros pivoted by trading for third baseman Isaac Paredes and signing first baseman Christian Walker .
"I think the team understands that we made him a competitive offer," Astros general manager Dana Brown told reporters Dec. 23, discussing Bregman . "I really think the guys understand that. I think the guys in the clubhouse understand that, look, this is a business as well."
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Bregman, a two-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion, isn't going to play for the Astros in 2025, but he was one of the most successful Astros throughout his tenure in Houston. He ranks second among active MLB players with 99 games and 434 plate appearances in the postseason.
"I think a lot of Bregman's leadership is by example because you see his work ethic, you see how hard he's working," said Ford, who has been the Astros' play-by-play radio broadcaster since 2013. "A high tide rises all boats. I think it rubs off on other guys, particularly the younger players.
"He's never been someone who's always talking in the clubhouse or a big rah-rah guy or anything like that. He seems like someone who knows how to pick his spots when it comes to when he says things and what he says. If you just follow his lead, you're going to be in good shape."
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The Tigers had MLB's youngest team in 2024.
The youth movement continues in 2025: All nine position players in the projected Opening Day lineup are under 30 years old. From youngest to oldest: Colt Keith (23), Jace Jung (24), Riley Greene (24), Trey Sweeney (24), Parker Meadows (25), Kerry Carpenter (27), Gleyber Torres (28), Matt Vierling (28) and Jake Rogers (29).
Bregman turns 31 at the end of March.
Three months ago, future Hall of Fame manager Dusty Baker , who managed the Astros from 2020-23, praised Bregman for his leadership.
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"He's one of the guys that I could depend on to send a message," Baker said Oct. 16 on "The Show" podcast, hosted by New York Post reporters Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman , "and I don't have to tell him what message to send. That's what I love about Bregman."
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Red Sox manager Alex Cora , who worked as the Astros' bench coach in 2017, understands the value of Bregman's leadership, but as the Red Sox pursue him in free agency, Cora seems more interested in Bregman's on-field impact.
Bregman is projected by FanGraphs to be worth 4.2 fWAR in 2025 , which would be his fourth consecutive year with at least 4 fWAR. He is one of just 11 position players to achieve at least 4 fWAR in each of the past three seasons, from 2022-24, joining Aaron Judge , Freddie Freeman , Dansby Swanson , Francisco Lindor , Yordan Álvarez , Mookie Betts , José Ramírez , Kyle Tucker , Corey Seager and Marcus Semien . For 2025, FanGraphs projects Bregman to hit .261 with 24 home runs and a .787 OPS across 159 games, resulting in a 122 wRC+ — 22% better than league average on offense.
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In 2024, the Tigers were carried by one of the best pitching performances in franchise history, all while the offense struggled. The Tigers tied for 21st among the 30 MLB teams with a 95 wRC+ and ranked 24th with a .685 OPS.
Signing Bregman would significantly improve the Tigers' below-average offense. Similarly, Bregman would elevate the Red Sox's already above-average offense to an even higher level.
Here's what Cora said about Bregman.
"It's not about intangibles, right?" he said Thursday on Rob Bradford's "Baseball Isn't Boring" podcast . "This is a player. He's a good player. He's a good hitter. There's a lot of guys out there who can be good leaders, and there's a lot of good free agents out there that can help. That's the bottom line. But everybody knows that he's a good player, and he can impact any franchise and help them win."
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The Red Sox have Cora recruiting Bregman to Boston. (They also have recent signee Walker Buehler, who co-owns a 3-year-old colt with Bregman .)
But the Tigers have manager A.J. Hinch on their side.
Houston Astros' Alex Bregman talks with manager A.J. Hinch in the dugout during the second inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field July 1, 2018 in St. Petersburg, Florida.
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Hinch managed Bregman with the Astros from 2015-19.
The relationship between Bregman and Hinch dates back to Bregman's MLB debut in 2016. As the story goes: Bregman, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 draft, was 0-for-18 to start his big-league career, but Hinch refused to bench him. Instead, Hinch moved him from Nos. 6-7 in the lineup to the No. 2 spot for the sixth game of his career. In that game, Bregman recorded his first hit against the Tigers at Comerica Park .
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"That's the sort of thing that a player and a manager don't forget," Ford said. "A player doesn't forget a manager who trusted him and had faith in him when arguably he had little reason to, and a manager doesn't forget a player rewarding that faith."
The Hinch connection is one reason to believe Bregman will play for the Tigers in 2025.
"I think the relationship between Alex Bregman and A.J. Hinch could certainly be a big factor," Ford said. "I don't know that anyone is talking about Bregman going to the Tigers without that relationship."
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold .
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Alex Bregman brings off-field leadership to go with consistent big bat
