In recent weeks, the market around aging, declining players has cooled off significantly. Pete Alonso, who was once a star not so long ago, has seen his market diminish beyond expectation. Anthony Santander is seen as the ideal slugging alternative to the top names still on the market. But despite the 44 home runs he mashed last season, teams are wary of his low batting average. Among the prominent free agents that are being snubbed is a Gold Glove third baseman.
Alex Bregman has fielded some serious interest from the Detroit Tigers and the Boston Red Sox, both of whom could use his bat as well as his defensive prowess. One other top team to keep an eye on would be the Toronto Blue Jays, who just met with Roki Sasaki.
The Jays have had a disappointing offseason having whiffed on Juan Soto and Corbin Burnes, but things are looking up for them. Toronto is fresh off a victory having landed star reliever Jeff Hoffman on a three-year pact. While their bullpen is turning into a strong point, they’re still far from being the formidable contenders GM Ross Atkins had envisioned. This could lead a continued aggressive push from Toronto for the top remaining names on the free agent market.
Alex Bregman could shore up weaknesses for any of these three teams. Last season, Bregman hit .260/.315/.453/.768 with 26 home runs. It was his worst year at the plate in his nine-year career. Even so, there are things to like about his performance besides his Gold Glove.
However, his free agency thus far is moving rather slowly. It is the decline from his performances in years past that has been preventing teams from jumping at the opportunity to sign him. But for any team willing to take the risk, he offers plenty of upside and could provide much-needed lineup depth.
So, which team has the inside track to inking him? There isn’t a definitive answer, but we may have been given an insightful clue.
Blue Jays are called Alex Bregman sleepers by MLB insider
According to MLB insider, Peter Gammons, the Blue Jays are “Bregman sleepers.” Gammons cites executives from two different teams as his inside sources.
It wasn’t long ago when Bob Nightengale declared the Blue Jays had the strongest interest in Bregman. In early January, Nightengale wrote this in USA Today:
“The Toronto Blue Jays, who continue to be left at the altar among free agents, have shown the strongest interest, but just how much more do they have to pay him than the next highest bidder with their high tax rates and distance from his home in Phoenix?”
As Nightengale implied, having the strongest interest in a free agent doesn’t necessarily mean you’re landing him. This is the lesson the Blue Jays learned with Corbin Burnes who turned down two higher offers to play with the Arizona D-Backs because of the lower tax rate.
To the Blue Jays, adding Bregman would solidify the middle of their wavering batting order behind Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette. That is a vital role to the Blue Jays as the bats behind Vladdy have failed to produce.
This article was originally published on fansided.com as Ross Atkins attempting to turn Blue Jays offseason around with more than just Roki Sasaki .