Detroit Tigers Agree To Terms On Deal With Former Yankees All-Star Infielder
The Detroit Tigers have made potentially their most significant move yet in free agency on Friday morning.
According to a report from Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Tigers are in agreement on a deal with former New York Yankees All-Star infielder Gleyber Torres. Jesse Rogers of ESPN reports the deal is for one year and worth $15 million.
Torres, who has primarily played second base throughout his career with the Yankees, has also played some shortstop professionally. Where exactly he is going to play in Detroit is a major question after a promising rookie season for Colt Keith at second base.
Torres could be an option at shortstop as the Javier Báez contract has become a disaster, but between the combination of giving Báez another chance to come back healthy as well as the possibility of Trey Sweeney factoring in once again, shortstop could also be occupied at the start of the season.
Interestingly, that would leave third base as the most realistic option for the two-time All-Star. Torres has never played third base at the Major League level and has not played the position at all since a short stint at the hot corner in 2018 in the minors. Reports emerged during this week that Torres did not sign a deal with the Washington Nationals due to a lack of desire to play third base.
He wouldn't have signed with Detroit without a plan in place for him. That plan could see a shuffling around of the infield whether it be moving Keith to first base and letting Torres play second, moving Báez and or Sweeney, or putting Torres in a position he might not be extremely comfortable with at first.
After bursting onto the MLB scene in 2018 and being named an All-Star as well as a third place finish in American League Rookie of the Year voting, Torres followed it up with the best season of his career to date in 2019. That year, he hit. 278 with an OPS of .871, a 3.0 WAR, and blasting 38 home runs on his way to another All-Star appearance.
But 2024 was arguably the worst season of his career with his offensive numbers way down from his peak. This season, Torres posted an OPS of .709 with just 15 home runs and the most strikeouts in his career.
Still just 28 years old however, there's hope that the seven-year veteran can unlock what made him great early in his career and become the right-handed power bat that the Tigers desperately need in the middle of the lineup.
