Alex Bregman chose the Red Sox over the Tigers last week, but his agent Scott Boras suggests Bregman would still consider Detroit in the future.
Boras released a statement to the Free Press this week in which he said "Alex has great respect for the Detroit organization, its great players and its heralded manager" and that after Bregman "received a close-up view of the Tigers and their promising future during the 2024 playoffs ... he directed me to place Detroit on his priority list for free-agent meetings."
To which Doug Karsch says, "Go blank yourself, Scott Boras. With all due respect. Because it feels, to me, like he’s starting to try to negotiate and butter up Detroit for next year, if his client opts for free agency."
Bregman turned down a six-year, $171.5 million offer from the Tigers with an opt-out after 2026, then made two counter-offers to the club, per the Free Press: seven years, $200 million, or six years, $186 million with an opt-out after 2025.
"The Tigers said no to both of those, you chose Boston, you’re the third highest-paid position player in the game, his agent releases these glowing reviews of Detroit — you chose somebody else," says Karsch. "Not interested. Do you think he’s going to come to Detroit for less money than he’s getting in Boston?
"If he is a free agent, that means he opted out of a contract that is paying him the third most money per year of any position player in MLB. So, he’s going to want more than that. A) What kind of year do they think he’s going to have to justify that? And maybe he will in Boston. But B) the fact that he’s coming back to the Tigers’ table and Boras is releasing this statement to already negotiate, it feels a little ex-girlfriend-y, trying to keep you on hold, keep you on the back burner.
"So, with all respect — with all respect — and I mean this sincerely: Go blank yourself."