Boston Red Sox Trade For Detroit Tigers’ Star Spencer Torkelson As Alex Bregman Plan B

As the Boston Red Sox work to strengthen their offense after making several notable additions to their pitching staff, reports suggest they are intensifying their efforts to sign Houston Astros free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman. However, their pursuit of the two-time All-Star faces a significant hurdle in the form of the Detroit Tigers.

The Tigers are now seen as the frontrunners to land Bregman, who would be reunited with his former Houston manager, A.J. Hinch, in Detroit. During a Monday Zoom call with Boston media, Red Sox baseball operations chief Craig Breslow reiterated that acquiring a right-handed power bat remains one of his two primary goals for the remainder of the offseason, alongside strengthening the bullpen.

With Bregman reportedly leaning toward Detroit, prominent Red Sox blogger BallPark Buzz has suggested that the team could shift their focus to the Tigers’ own talent pool. Specifically, he proposes that the Red Sox target Detroit’s 2020 first-round draft pick, Spencer Torkelson, who was also the No. 1 overall selection in that year’s MLB Draft.

 

 

Torkelson, a former Arizona State first baseman, was highly regarded as “a special offensive talent, maybe the best in the draft since Mark Teixeira in 2001,” according to MLB.com. He was also the first corner infielder to be taken first overall since Teixeira.

BallPark Buzz notes that if Detroit signs Bregman, the Tigers would face an infield logjam, and Torkelson—while inconsistent—could be a candidate for a change of scenery. He highlighted Torkelson’s potential as a right-handed power hitter, noting his 31-home-run season in 2023 and a career .470 slugging percentage against left-handed pitchers.

After a difficult rookie season in 2022, Torkelson showed improvement in 2023, hitting 31 home runs, although his 171 strikeouts (11th-most in the majors) were a concern. However, Torkelson regressed in 2024, hitting just four home runs and striking out 56 times in 54 games before being demoted to the minor leagues in June.

Given Torkelson’s struggles, he could be a reasonable trade target for the Red Sox without costing them any of their top prospects. However, Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris expressed confidence in Torkelson’s future with the team. On December 27, Harris told the media, “If you have a big offseason and a big spring training, there’s a role for you on this team. This team needs more right-handed power, and we’ve seen Tork do that in the past.”

The Red Sox, who currently have a lineup predominantly made up of left-handed hitters, are in need of a right-handed power bat, which makes Torkelson an appealing trade candidate—though not necessarily a major acquisition.