The Detroit Tigers have made an upgrade in their infield. They’ve signed second baseman Gleyber Torres to a 1-year $15 million deal. Torres, 27, has played his entire career for the New York Yankees. He debuted in 2018 and cracked the All-Star team in his first two years in the majors. Though he has plateaued after those first few seasons, Torres has remained a solid presence at second base. Most notably, the former top prospect played a huge role in the Yankees’ World Series run this past season.
Free agent Gleyber Torres is in agreement with the Detroit Tigers on a 1-year, $15 million contract, sources tell ESPN. Torres had a great ALCS after a bit of down year on the power side for the Yankees. He’ll start at 2b for Detroit. @JonHeyman was first with the agreement.
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) December 27, 2024
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Tigers Sign Gleyber Torres
This past season, Torres was an essential piece of the Yankees’ pennant-winning lineup. Mightily struggling for most of the first half with an OPS of .654 through 93 games, manager Aaron Boone eventually decided to bench his second baseman. He then moved him to the leadoff spot in the order in August. This change sparked a fire under Torres, who hit .293/.361/.419 with 38 runs scored in 61 games after the All-Star break.
Traded to the Yankees from the Chicago Cubs in 2016, Torres was the premier prospect piece of the deal that sent closer Aroldis Chapman to Chicago. Two years later, the Venezuela native showed that he was worth the hype. He put up a slash line of .271/.340/.480 with 24 home runs in 123 games as a rookie. Torres was even better in his sophomore season, putting up career-highs in home runs (38) and OPS (.871).
However, Torres failed to improve on those numbers after the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. From 2021 to 2024, Torres put up a total brWAR of 9.5, playing in 579 games. So, despite falling short of the highs he reached early on, the second baseman proved to be a consistent presence in the Yankees’ often-injured lineup. Arguably, he’s been most valuable in the postseason. In 45 career playoff games for New York, Torres has hit .267 with 7 home runs, 28 runs scored, and a whopping 25 RBIs.
Though not the best defensive second baseman in the league, Torres has the potential to be a top-tier offensive middle infielder. He’s adaptable to any spot in the lineup, as seen last season, and he is a proven playoff performer. And, at only 27 years of age, the longtime Yankee has a good chance of putting himself in the conversation for top second basemen in MLB.
Main Photo: © Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
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