The Detroit Tigers head into the offseason once again with one name at the top of their wish list as they try to navigate free agency and put themselves in the best possible spot moving forward.
Just as he was a year ago, now Boston Red Sox All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman is being linked to Detroit and seems like he would be the perfect fit to fix one of the biggest issues on the team at the hot corner.
All too often though, dream targets don’t work out, and after this was the case with Bregman a year ago, the Tigers need to have more of a plan than the lack of moves they made once he chose Boston.
In a recent article naming each team’s Plan B should they miss on their biggest target this winter, Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report wrote that the Red Sox should go after one of the Japanese sensations, either Munetaka Murakami or Kazuma Okamoto, if Bregman leaves.
President of baseball operations Scott Harris should have the exact same plan if Detroit fails to land Bregman.
Tigers Must Have Backup Plan in Case Bregman Does Not Work Again
“Whether it’s Munetaka Murakami or the less-heralded but also homer-happy Kazuma Okamoto, the Red Sox could adjust to life after Bregman via international waters,” Miller wrote on Boston before explaining the flaws with each Japanese sensation. “The problem with that plan is that neither Japanese slugger is anything close to a sure thing on the defensive side of the hot corner equation.
While the defensive issues of both Japanese stars could present an issue, having one of them as an option and simply figuring it out from there is a much better idea than what Detroit did a year ago, which was nothing.
The Tigers ranked 27th in baseball in OPS from the third base position, and this is something that simply has to get better if they want to take the next step in Detroit.
Tigers Would Receive Instant Offensive Upgrade from Either Star
Between the two, Okamoto would be the more likely target given Murakami’s tendency to strike out at such a high rate as well as struggles against the fastball, but the former would instantly possibly be exactly what the Detroit lineup needs.
In 2025, Okamoto slashed a very impressive .322/.411/.581 with 15 home runs and 51 RBI across 77 games, showcasing a rare blend of power and ability to get on base, something the Tigers were missing this season.
Whether or not Detroit feels he can actually hold his own at third base may be the deciding factor in if they actually pursue him given the logjam at first base and designated hitter. Should the Tigers decide the potential boost from Okamoto’s bat is worth stomaching some growing pains on defense though, they should be ready to deploy a pursuit if they do miss on Bregman again.
It’s going to be an absolutely wild next few weeks with the winter meetings coming, and Detroit had better land a better solution at third than they had in 2025.
