"If they don't get Alex Bregman, it's a failure" - Justin Verlander's brother Ben slams Tigers for laid-back approach in pursuing ex-Astros star

The Detroit Tigers have made a few offseason moves to build off a promising 2024 season. None of them have included the signing of Alex Bregman. Ben Verlander, Justin Verlander's brother and the host of the "Flippin' Bats" podcast, expressed his belief that Detroit might've failed to improve its roster more by taking a lackadaisical approach in its pursuit of the free agent.

"If they don’t get Breggy, it’s a failure of an offseason. If the Astros do, they win the World Series. Bookmark this," Verlander tweeted on Sunday.

Having already made a blockbuster deal with the Chicago Cubs that sent Kyle Tucker to the North Side and returned Isaac Paredes among other pieces, the Houston Astros recently shed some payroll to potentially open up some salary space to possibly bring back Alex Bregman, the team's third baseman since 2016.

On Sunday, the Astros and Cubs reached a deal that sent bullpen arm Ryan Pressly to Chicago in return for right-hander Juan Bello. More importantly, the deal freed up $8.5 million of the $14 million the righty would earn in the final year of his contract.

Alex Bregman already turned down a $156 million extension from Houston this offseason. Would those savings added on to the initial offer be enough to entice Bregman to re-up with the club?

The growing sentiment in baseball circles is that it would, with the team already offering up a blueprint of what the roster makeup would look like with Jose Altuve potentially moving to left field and Paredes manning the keystone, allowing Alex Bregman to reclaim his spot at third base.

Once burned, twice shy: Detroit Tigers weighing risk of signing Alex Bregman to big-name contract

Detroit Tigers fans expected the team to make a flurry of moves this offseason to bolster a roster that pulled off one of the biggest comebacks in MLB history a season ago.

Sellers at the trade deadline, the Tigers offloaded several players with one-year contracts in hopes of bringing back as much value as possible. Then, the unexpected occurred. Detroit got white-hot and overcame a double-digit standings deficit to punch a ticket to the playoffs.

The Tigers swept the Houston Astros before bowing out to the Cleveland Guardians in the ALDS. However, Javier Baez played no role in the team's dramatic turnaround, further haunting upper management for signing him to a six-year, $140 million deal in 2022.

MLB: Kansas City Royals at Detroit Tigers - Source: Imagn

His contract alone could be the main reason why Detroit general manager Jeff Greenberg has been hesitant to offer more money or years to Alex Bregman, leaving Houston in a position to capitalize on the situation.