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Dear Alex Bregman,
I know you are probably busy, trying to figure out if you are going to re-sign with the Houston Astros — dude, not to be rude, but they already gave up on signing you.
Or go to the Chicago Cubs — ugh, sure, it’s a beautiful city but the traffic is awful.
Or land in Boston — a free agent signing with the Red Sox? Come on, man, that’s just cliché.
Or you could do something bold — something where you can truly make a difference and add another layer to your legacy — and sign with the Detroit Tigers.
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A big decision, I’m sure.
But let me try to make something clear.
The Tigers want you.
The city of Detroit wants you.
The whole freakin’ state of Michigan wants you.
In the immortal words (on social media) of Ben Verlander (Justin’s brother): “Today is a great day for the Detroit Tigers to sign Alex Bregman.”
Put another way: “He would look really good (with the Tigers),” Tigers ace (and reigning AL Cy Young winner) Tarik Skubal said on the “Foul Territory” show, hosted by Ken Rosenthal, A.J. Pierzynski, Erik Kratz and Scott Braun.
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Why?
Because you would fit so perfectly on this roster.
The Tigers have a bunch of young, improving, talented players, and a tremendous pitching staff — especially after bringing back right-hander Jack Flaherty late Sunday night. But they have one glaring need: they need another right-handed bat.
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Not just that.
If they move Matt Vierling to the outfield for good, it would open up a spot for you at third base.
Perfect.
Now, I want to be straight up about something.
The Tigers need you … but you don’t have to carry this team.
You don’t have to be anything than who you are. Nobody thinks you are a savior or anything. I mean, this young, trade deadline-depleted team made the playoffs without you.
Just bang your 25 homers. Hit around .260. And play your Gold Glove defense.
Just be yourself. That will be good enough to take this team to the next level.
And if you are yourself, this team will get something else. All the intangibles.
It’s the way you act in the clubhouse. The way you can be a coach on the field. The way you lead by example. The way you prepare with a relentless work ethic.
Just be yourself and you will have a huge impact on these young players.
Don’t beat ’em, join ’em
Now, I want to bring up something, even though it might be a little painful for you. But it’s important for you to remember.
The last time I saw you in person was last October. I was in Houston to cover the AL wild-card round, and I went to your media availability.
“(The Tigers) got a bunch of really good arms,” you said. “Obviously, Tarik is really good, but their bullpen’s legit too. They’ve also got some other good starters as well. Obviously, they have played really well down the stretch, pitched really well down the stretch. A.J. does a really good job of putting them in good positions to succeed. Yeah, it’s definitely going to be tough, but we’ve got to find a way to get the job done.”
Lo and behold, that young team beat you guys. Stunned you, really.
Do you remember that?
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And that young team is even better now.
I mean, maybe not a ton, but it’s better.
They haven’t really lost anybody. They should get back some injured arms. Their young players should be even better, just from learning from last year and becoming more comfortable in the majors. And their infield is potentially stronger because they added Gleyber Torres, a right-handed hitter, at second base and that will allow Colt Keith to move to first.
You are gonna love Keith.
He’s still incredibly young and impressionable. But he just loves the game and he’s driven to be great. I have a feeling he’s going to have a monster season.
In fact, I think you are going to love this entire clubhouse. It’s full of a bunch of young dudes who want to win.
And that’s where you come in.
You can show them — just through your actions — how to become champions.
There’s another factor to your decision.
Obviously, you would be reunited with A.J. Hinch, your old Astros manager.
If you ask me, Hinch has grown. He’s an even better manager than he was in Houston. But that probably doesn’t surprise you. Because Hinch is one of those dudes who just loves to learn and try something new.
He pulled off something pretty incredible last season, employing a “pitching chaos” approach.
But it worked.
Because this team believes in Hinch.
And I believe you can make these kids even better.
If I’m being honest, there is only one negative if you come to Detroit. It would be a temporary roadblock for Jace Jung, who has struggled at third base but has tremendous upside with his bat.
But Torres is only on a one-year deal — shoot, they could flip him at the deadline — and Jung could return to second base, the position where he was drafted, the spot where he played more than 150 games in the minors and won a minor-league Gold Glove.
Detroit is waiting, Alex
Now, maybe, you are wondering: What would it be like playing in Detroit?
First of all, you can actually go outside in the summer, instead of melting in an endless string of 100-degree days in Houston.
And when the Tigers are winning, Detroit goes crazy and Comerica Park becomes electric.
Just like in Houston. You are gonna feel right at home.
The summers in Detroit are beautiful. We’ve got great restaurants and great people.
The Tigers got a new plane, a new clubhouse and all kinds of fancy bells and whistles.
And things have improved significantly behind the scenes.
Maybe you remember when the Astros got Justin Verlander. I’m sure, back then, he said stuff to you like: Man, we didn’t have analytics like this in Detroit.
But things have changed dramatically.
President of baseball operations Scott Harris has strengthened everything behind the scenes; and he has stocked the minor league system. They have nine prospects on ESPN’s top 200 list.
The pitching department squeezes every ounce of potential out of its young studs.
And all the hitters rave about the hitting department: Keith Beauregard, Michael Brdar and Lance Zawadzki.
“I would not be the hitter that I am today without Brdar, Keith and Lance,” Kerry Carpenter told me last fall. He hit 18 homers in just 87 games. “They’re so good.”
Finally, there’s one last thing you need to know about Detroit.
It doesn’t matter if you were drafted here. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been here.
Because if you win, Detroit fans will embrace you like something you have never heard before.
Just ask Jared Goff.
He helped the Lions win and now he’s got commercials, and he can’t go anywhere without people breaking out into chants: “JA-RED GOFF! JA-RED GOFF!”
That’s what will happen in Comerica Park, if you just be yourself.
Fans will chant your name: “AL-EX BREG-MAN! AL-EX BREG-MAN!”
But man, I realize this isn’t easy.
You’ve been in Houston for a long time.
And I don’t know how to break this to you but they have moved on without you. The Astros traded Kyle Tucker to the Cubs for third baseman Isaac Parades, pitcher Hayden Wesneski and prospect Cam Smith.
Yeah, I know they could shuffle their infield, send Jose Altuve out to left field, to fit you in.
But come on. That’s like breaking up with your girlfriend, she gets a new boyfriend, and then they say: Don’t worry, you can move back in. We’ll just shift things around and it’ll be just like the old days.
It’s not, man. Everything has changed in Houston.
Tucker is gone. Verlander is gone.
And you should head to Detroit.
Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @seideljeff.
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The Detroit Tigers recently made a trade that has left many fans and analysts scratching their heads, but when you take a closer look, it actually makes perfect sense.
The Tigers agreed to send outfielder Cameron Maybin to the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for a minor league pitcher. While Maybin was a solid player for the Tigers, the move makes sense for a few reasons.
First, Maybin is set to become a free agent after the 2017 season, and the Tigers likely did not see him as a long-term solution in their outfield. By trading him now, they were able to get something in return for him rather than letting him walk away for nothing in the offseason.
Second, the Tigers are in the midst of a rebuilding phase, and acquiring a young pitcher in exchange for Maybin fits in with their long-term plans. By adding a promising prospect to their farm system, the Tigers are positioning themselves for future success.
Finally, the Tigers have a surplus of outfielders, making Maybin expendable. With players like Justin Upton, J.D. Martinez, and Tyler Collins already in the mix, the Tigers can afford to part ways with Maybin without significantly impacting their roster.
While the trade may not have been a blockbuster deal, it was a smart move for the Tigers given their current situation. By making this deal, the Tigers have positioned themselves well for the future while also clearing up some roster space in the present.
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