The Detroit Tigers already signed Gleyber Torres, a right-handed hitting second baseman, to a one-year, $15 million contract, but the Tigers still need another right-handed hitter to balance their lineup full of left-handed hitters.
The Tigers have interest in both third baseman Alex Bregman and right fielder Anthony Santander, but the Tigers aren't the frontrunner in Santander's market.
It's easy to see why the Tigers would benefit from acquiring an additional right-handed hitter.
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After signing Torres, the Tigers moved left-handed hitter Colt Keith to first base as the replacement for struggling right-handed hitter Spencer Torkelson. Essentially, the Tigers swapped a righty hitter in Torkelson for another righty hitter in Torres.
Therefore, the lineup imbalance remains.
"We got a little left-handed towards the end of the year," Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris said in mid-October after the postseason run ended in the American League Division Series. "I think we could use a right-handed bat to balance us out."
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The Tigers need an All-Star-caliber right-handed hitter in the top half of the everyday lineup to complement a flurry of left-handed hitters, namely Keith, designated hitter Kerry Carpenter, center fielder Parker Meadows, left fielder Riley Greene, shortstop Trey Sweeney and third baseman Jace Jung.
Carpenter, Keith, Meadows and Greene project to be key contributors in the top half of the lineup, with Torres as the only right-handed hitter supporting them.
Here are the top three remaining right-handed hitting free agents the Tigers are interested in:
3B Alex Bregman
The Tigers have strong interest in third baseman Alex Bregman.
In fact, the Tigers appear to be all-in on Bregman. Both sides are engaged in ongoing discussions with mutual interest, but there has been a gap in value as Bregman's market narrows.
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Bregman, who turns 31 in late March, hit .260 with 26 home runs, 44 walks and 86 strikeouts for the Houston Astros in the 2024 season, winning the Gold Glove at third base. From 2022-24, he averaged 25 homers and 154 games per season, with an 11.1% walk rate, a 12.4% strikeout rate and a .798 OPS, though his power is showing signs of diminishing.
He won't reunite with the Astros, who traded for a third baseman in former Tigers prospect Isaac Paredes, in 2025.
The two-time All-Star, two-time World Series champion and nine-year MLB veteran is a respected leader with 99 games and 434 plate appearances in his postseason career, making him the perfect fit for a young Tigers team trying to learn how to win consistently.
Bregman also has close relationships with Tigers manager A.J. Hinch and Tigers bullpen catcher Chris Chinea.
RF Anthony Santander
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The Tigers have interest in right fielder Anthony Santander, but the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Angels are the frontrunners for his services.
Santander, who turned 30 in mid-October, hit .235 with 44 home runs, 58 walks and 129 strikeouts across 155 games for the Baltimore Orioles in the 2024 season. A switch-hitter, Santander hit .239 with an .822 OPS against right-handers and .225 with a .793 OPS against left-handers. He made the All-Star Game in 2024 for the first time in his eight-year MLB career.
Santander averaged 35 homers and 153 games per season from 2022-24, with an 8.5% walk rate, a 20.5% strikeout rate and a .795 OPS. He is a solid fit for the Tigers as a power hitter from both sides of the plate, but he chases too many pitches outside of the strike zone (though not as often as Javier Báez).
He isn't expected to reunite with the Orioles in 2025.
If the Tigers add Bregman, Matt Vierling — a fellow right-handed hitter — would playall three outfield positions, which is where he fits best. If they add Santander, Vierling would stick at third base because Santander is limited to right field.
SS/2B/3B Ha-Seong Kim
The Tigers have some level of interest in infielder Ha-Seong Kim, possibly as Plan C if they fail to sign Bregman (Plan A) and Santander (Plan B).
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Kim, who turned 29 in mid-October, hit .233 with 11 home runs, 58 walks and 77 strikeouts across 121 games for the San Diego Padres in the 2024 season, registering a .700 OPS. He served as San Diego's everyday shortstop, but he also is an above-average defender at second base and third base. On offense, Kim ranked in the 98th percentile in chase rate (18.6%), 96th percentile in walk rate (12.3%), 92nd percentile in whiff rate (16.1%) and 81st percentile in strikeout rate (16.4%).
For many reasons, Kim is an outstanding fit for the Tigers.
One problem: Kim underwent right shoulder surgery in mid-October to repair a labrum tear and won't be healthy for Opening Day in late March. But he should return at some point in the first half of the 2025 season. The injury, surgery and rehab timeline has created an uncertain market for him.
Contact Evan Petzold atepetzold@freepress.comor follow him@EvanPetzold.
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