Executive Has Blunt Response to Being Spurned by Alex Bregman

Detroit Tigers general manager Scott Harris didn’t hold back Friday when asked for his feelings about losing out on Alex Bregman, the free agent infielder who agreed to a multiyear deal with the Boston Red Sox this week.
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“Was I disappointed? I wouldn’t characterize my emotions that way,” Harris told reporters, including Evan Woodbery of the MLive Media Group. “We want players who want to be here. I say it a lot because I mean it — we want players who want to be Tigers. We made a very compelling offer to Alex Bregman, but he chose to sign somewhere else. That’s fine. We knew that was a possibility throughout this process and planned for that outcome.
Tigers president Scott Harris on missing out on Alex Bregman:
“Was I disappointed? I wouldn’t characterize my emotions that way. We want players who want to be here. I say it a lot because I mean it — we want players who want to be Tigers. We made a very compelling offer to…
— Evan Woodbery (@evanwoodbery) February 14, 2025
Harris continued:
“We’re fortunate to be in a spot where we have an owner who gives us the flexibility to chase elite free agents. Sometimes we’re going to land those guys, like we did with Jack Flaherty, and sometimes we’re not. That’s fine. Heading into this process, we knew that, given all the work we had done on the acquisition and development front, we were going to be able to run out a really good team with or without Alex Bregman.”
Denis Poroy/Getty Images
Bregman’s contract with the Boston Red Sox is reportedly for three years and $120 million, and includes opt-out clauses after each of the first two years. While Bregman wanted a long-term deal, instead, he settled for a massive $40 million average annual value, with the opportunity to rejoin the free agent market after his first or second season in Boston.
According to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, the Tigers offered Bregman a six-year deal worth $171.5 million. Bregman went with the shorter-term deal worth less total dollars, but a larger annual salary and more opt-outs.
Bregman contract structure, per sources:
2025: $40 million, opt out
2026: $40 million, opt out
2027: $40 millionThere are deferrals.
Bregman turned down a $171 million offer because he wanted to be in Boston, I’m told. https://t.co/LfzkE4ywnS
— Ari Alexander (@AriA1exander) February 13, 2025
The Detroit Tigers upset the favored Houston Astros in the Wild Card round in 2024, ending the Astros’ streak of American League Championship Series appearances that dated to 2017.
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With that in mind, Harris noted that the Tigers have beaten Bregman in the postseason already.
This is my favorite part:
“We’re going to be just fine without Alex Bregman. We still have a clubhouse that just got to the postseason and beat a team with Alex Bregman. So it clearly can be done.”
— Evan Woodbery (@evanwoodbery) February 14, 2025
“We’re going to be just fine without Alex Bregman,” Harris said, via Woodbery. “We still have a clubhouse that just got to the postseason and beat a team with Alex Bregman. So it clearly can be done.”
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