The New York Yankees are not currently in the mix to sign free agent Alex Bregman but they are paying close attention to where the third baseman ends up. If he signs with the Detroit Tigers, it could open the door for New York to swoop in and make a deal with Detroit to fill their whole at the hot corner.

Nothing between Bregman and the Tigers is imminent, but Detroit is reportedly “all in” on the former Astros star. Plenty of Yankee fans would like to see GM Brian Cashman splash the cash required to land Bregman, but he does not fit the team’s desired payroll structure at the moment.

If the Tigers do win the race to sign the big-ticket free agent, they will suddenly find themselves with a surplus of talent at third base. The Yankees are still searching for a player capable of either starting at second or third to round out manager Aaron Boone’s infield.

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Detroit could be open to dealing either Jace Jung or Matt Vierling with Bregman in the fold. Either player could easily be of interest to the Yankees. The Tigers might be more inclined to hold on to Vierling because he can also play the outfield. In contrast, Jung has only played at third during his major league career.

The Yankees would need to come with a strong trade offer to pry either player away from the Tigers. Jung is only 24 years of age which will drive Detroit’s asking price up. It’s possible New York would need to part with a top-10 prospect or a young, established major leaguer like Clarke Schmidt to get a Jung trade over the line.

Cashman has not been concretely linked with interest in Jung or Vierling at the moment but things could progress quickly if the Tigers come to terms with Bregman. It’s a situation for Yankees fans to monitor closely in the coming days.