AL Central team now pursuing Alex Bregman after Blue Jays six-year offer.

The Detroit Tigers made their biggest acquisition of the offseason last night, agreeing to terms with right-hander Jack Flaherty (another former Blue Jays target) on a two-year deal that allows him to opt back into free agency at season's end.

ESPN's Buster Olney reports that Detroit still in pursuit of third baseman Alex Bregman even after signing Flaherty.

Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press hears the same, writing that the Tigers have «conducted their offseason moves around their interest in signing Bregman,» ultimately passing on several right-handed bats in whom they also had interest (Christian Walker, switch-hitter Anthony Santander, and Ha-Seong Kim).

With Flaherty on the books, the Tigers' 2025 payroll projects out to about $142MM, FanGraphs RosterResources.

They're up to $156MM in luxury obligations. That leaves them more than $50MM shy of the franchise-record $200MM player payroll and $85MM shy of the $241MM tax threshold.

There's room to accommodate Bregman, be it on a higher-annual value short-term deal with opt-outs or on the type of long-term, six- or seven-year pact he's been seeking throughout free agency.

Bregman reportedly has multiple six-year offers - one from the Astros (valued at at least $156MM) and one from another interested party that is said to contain an opt-out after year one.

The Blue Jays have been suggested as the other team, though it's not expressly clear that they've done so (nor is the value of the other six-year offer known).

According to MLB insider Buster Olney an MLB Executive believes the Blue Jays are positioned to offer the best deal for All-Star third Baseman Alex Bregman.

Olney wrote about the Bregman market and noted a league executive speculated the American League East team is "in position to offer the most money, given their level of desperation."

Olney reported that some around the league believe the market for the free agent third baseman "has been largely defined" after the San Francisco Giants signed Matt Chapman to a six-year, $151 million deal and the Houston Astros offered Bregman something similar.

He listed the Red Sox and Tigers as other teams with "varying degrees of interest."

The Blue Jays seem best positioned to offer the most money for that production, and it will be up to Bregman to decide where he wants to play in 2025 and beyond.

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