Tigers to sign Gleyber Torres

9:03 a.m.: It’s a one-year, $15 million deal, ESPN’s Jesse Rogers reports. Torres is expected to be Detroit’s primary second baseman.

8:44 a.m.: The Tigers and free agent infielder Gleyber Torres agree to a contract, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Torres is represented by Octagon.

Torres, who turned 28 earlier this month, has spent his entire major league career to date in Yankee pinstripes. The once-touted top prospect looked like a breakout star in 2019 when he socked 38 home runs in just 144 games, but Torres ended up settling in as a solid regular at second base instead of the superstar shortstop he appeared to be to be on the verge of. stays in ’19. Since that stellar 2019 campaign — which came in MLB’s season of juicy balls — Torres has slashed .261/.332/.411. That’s about 9% better than average, as measured by wRC+ (which weights home park and the league’s run scoring environment in a given season).

The 2024 season was shaping up to be a career-worst performance for Torres halfway through. Through his first 80 games, he posted an anemic .215/.294/.333 slash line (81 wRC+) with a 23.9% strikeout rate, well north of the 19.3% he had pitched in the previous five seasons. Torres righted the ship in late June, however, bouncing back to the tune of a .298/.365/.421 slash line with a much-improved 17.3% strikeout rate down the stretch.

Torres steps into a Detroit infield lacking any real safety. Colt Keith will probably slide to third base given the reported expectation that Torres will play second base. Keith, who hit .285/.330/.429 in 445 plate appearances after a terrible start to his rookie season, looks to be one of two infield locks along with Torres. There has been some speculation that Keith plays first base, but he has yet to appear in a professional game at the position.

Javier Baez is signed for three more seasons at $24MM per year, but he’s played himself out of a starting role and will ultimately be a release candidate if he can’t rebound at least somewhat (although the Tigers have suggested this winter, that they still see a role for Baez in ’25). Former top pick Spencer Torkelson Belted 32 homers in 2023, but came off an ugly 2024 campaign and has yet to establish himself as a viable big leaguer. Trey Sweeney showed a big-league-ready glove at shortstop, but hitless in 36 big-league games during last year’s second-half debut. Top view Jace Jung drew heaps of walks (16%) in 94 plate appearances at the end of last season, but is likely ticketed for Triple-A work or (speculatively) some exposure to left field. Matt Vierling could also account for the hot corner, though he can also play in the outfield.

More to come.