The Detroit Tigers are in the middle of a great season, sitting atop the AL Central, and looking like they’ll get a first-round bye in the postseason. It’s been an incredible turnaround for Detroit after years of watching the playoffs from home.
Now, with a pitching staff led by Tarik Skubal and an offense led by Riley Green, Spencer Torkleson, and Gleyber Torres, the Tigers are poised to make a postseason run.
Looking into the future, however, the chances of adding a star like Alex Bregman seem to be dwindling. Fortunately for the Tigers, the reason for their chances of landing Bregman can be explained by the emergence of a young star, which Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic delved into in a recent article.
Detroit Has Found Their Third Baseman of The Future
While the Tigers, like almost every team in baseball, would love to add Bregman to their team in the offseason, the Tigers aren’t likely to make such a decision. It’s thanks to the emergence of Colt Keith at third base in recent weeks.
“Since July 29th,” Stavenhagen writes, “… all of Keith’s playing time has come at either third base or DH. … Difficult as third base is, and hard as a midseason position switch can be, Keith has handled the challenge well.”
Keith was previously spending time at second base, while also trying to learn first base in the offseason. But, in the middle of the 2025 season, he finally found his way back to his original position and has since thrived there.
He’s a league-average defender, and since July 29th, Keith in 17 games is hitting .377 with a 1.065 OPS. Between sliding into the starting third base role and thriving offensively, there’s no reason for the Tigers to change his position again.
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Under team control through the 2029 season, Keith is a cheap asset to have on the roster. With the massive Skubal extension on the horizon, the Tigers, instead of pursuing Bregman to be their third baseman, Keith can take over, saving money for Skubal.
This emergence from Keith is huge, not just for 2025, but also for the Tigers’ future. If Keith could lock down third base, the Tigers would have significantly more flexibility.
“But with Keith at third and a host of infield prospects such as Hao-Yu Lee and the touted Kevin McGonigle knocking on the door,” Stavenhagen writes, “it’s also possible the Tigers can solve their infield puzzle without a massive free agent deal.”
While landing a player like Bregman would be amazing, the emergence of Keith spells bad news for Bregman’s odds of coming to Detroit to reunite with A.J. Hinch.
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