The Chicago Cubs made a high-risk, high-reward move, jumping early in the offseason to sign oft-injured left-hander Matthew Boyd to a two-year, $29 million deal. Expecting any significant body of work from him is a gamble, to say the least, but he still represents the team's biggest rotation addition to this point in the offseason.
One key free agent name who was still available heading into the weekend? Jack Flaherty. Given the front office's aversion to long-term deals, nothing coming together between the two sides to this point made some sense. But with reports indicating Flaherty was now open to short-term deals, I wondered if the Cubs might do something here. Instead, he returns to the team he started the 2024 season with in the Detroit Tigers.
The Tigers seem destined to get at least one more veteran for their roster. They've talked to Alex Bregman, who could be a primary choice, and if that doesn't work out, they could turn to Jack Flaherty, a pitcher they value. Teams say that Flaherty's camp has moved from long-term…
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) February 2, 2025
With Flaherty off the board, the trade market is the remaining avenue for any late-offseason rotation upgrades if you're the Cubs - but I want to look at this through a different lens: did the field of teams involved in the ongoing Alex Bregman sweepstakes just shrink by one?
Does this close the door on Alex Bregman joining the Tigers?
Detroit has made a ton of sense for Bregman all winter. There's the connection between AJ Hinch and the Gold Glove third baseman from their time in Houston together, the Tigers look like a team ready to start competing annually again - just checks a lot of boxes. But with $25 million on the books for Flaherty in 2025, I have a hard time believing they're ready to give Bregman what he wants on top of it.
According to Roster Resource, Detroit closed 2024 at just over $100 million in payroll - and are now up to a luxury tax number of $156 million with Flaherty back. That's a level the club hasn't reached in the better part of a decade - so adding, let's call it $27 million, annually for Bregman feels unlikely.
I've been skeptical of the Bregman-Cubs smoke all winter, but the longer he remains unsigned, the more I talk myself into the possibility. Adding him as your everyday third baseman not only solidifies that position, but pushing Matt Shaw into a utility bench role dramatically improves the bench outlook, as well.
I don't know. Maybe it's the meds for a sinus infection and late flight for work talking. But Flaherty going back to the Tigers feels, to me, like Detroit knowing they're out on Bregman and pivoting to a short-term back-up plan before camp. Time will tell.