Why is that good for Toronto? Because it could possibly take the Tigers out of the running for superstar third baseman Alex Bregman, narrowing the Jays competition on that front.
The Tigers haven’t wanted to spend lavishly this offseason, and they’ve already signed Alex Cobb, Gleyber Torres and Flaherty to high-value, short-term deals. While they haven’t definitively said they are out on Bregman, it seems fair to assume that they don’t want to give out more big-money deals, which is what Bregman is seeking. He has reportedly wanted more than $200 million.
The Blue Jays have been connected to Bregman from the start of the offseason, and they now have the cleanest opening for him. Toronto has a clear availability at third base, whereas the Boston Red Sox would need to play Bregman at second. The incumbent Houston Astros are still in play, but they aren’t willing to pay Bregman’s asking price either – and they’d have to move both Isaac Paredes and Jose Altuve to different positions to accommodate him.
The 30-year-old Bregman has spent the entirety of his nine-year career with the Astros. Lifetime, he’s a .272 hitter with a .366 on-base percentage. He hit 26 homers and drove in 75 runs last year while playing in 145 games. Bregman is a two-time World Series champion, having helped Houston win the title in 2017 and 2022. He’d bring a slugging ability and a winning pedigree to Toronto, pairing with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Anthony Santander in the middle of the order.