After originally joining the Yankees as a 19-year-old, hot-shot prospect, Gleyber Torres never hid his desire to remain in pinstripes long-term.
Just last spring, he even sounded open to the idea of giving the Yankees a discount. However, the team always seemed likely to move in a different direction with Torres hitting free agency this winter — and that was before the second baseman endured an up-and-down campaign at the plate and a head-scratching season in the field and on the bases.
“I’ve talked to Gleyber’s agents,” Yankees GM Brian Cashman recently said when asked if the door had closed on Torres’ tenure with the team. “So I’d say that until we or he do something, there’s always an opportunity.”
Torres finally did something on Friday, agreeing to a one-year, $15 million deal with Detroit, a source confirmed to the Daily News. The 28-year-old, who once had hopes of signing a multi-year deal this winter, will start at second for the Tigers, who now have a surplus of infielders.
As the Yankees know, Torres isn’t the most sure-handed defender. His 18 errors were the sixth-most in the majors and the most among second basemen in 2024. Popular defensive metrics, including Defensive Runs Saved (-11), Outs Above Average (-7) and Fielding Run Value (-5) didn’t rate him well either.
Torres was also benched twice last season, once in late June for a combination of performance and poor hustle, the other in August solely for hustle. He doesn’t have the best instincts on the bases: according to FanGraphs’ BsR metric, Torres was the sixth-worst baserunner in the majors in 2024.
At the plate, Torres looked lost prior to the June benching, slashing just .215/.295/.333. However, he hit .298/.365/.421 after it and eventually emerged as the Yankees’ leadoff man, consistently setting the table for Juan Soto and Aaron Judge in the second half.
Torres ended the year with a .257/.330/.378 slash line, 15 home runs, 63 RBI and a 104 wRC+. He then hit .241/.348/.397 with two home runs and eight RBI over 14 playoff games.
When the Bombers lost the World Series to the Dodgers in five games, media scrums focused on Judge, Soto, Gerrit Cole and others. Torres didn’t get a chance to talk before exiting Yankee Stadium’s home clubhouse for what turned out to be the final time.
Torres, first acquired in the 2016 trade that sent Aroldis Chapman to the Cubs, hit .265/.334/.441 with 138 homers and 441 RBI over seven seasons with the Yankees, the only major league club he’s played for.
The Yankees must now figure out who their starting second baseman will be moving forward. The same goes for third base.
The expectation is that Jazz Chisholm Jr. will play one of the two, as the former Marlin learned the hot corner on the fly after starting his career at second, the position he’s most familiar with. The Yankees could bring in a more experienced third baseman and move Chisholm back to second, but external options are limited at both spots.
“We were very surprised how he took to a very difficult position, and it certainly wasn’t perfect because it was new to him, but golly he at least made you realize that it’s possible that you might already have your third baseman,” Cashman said of Chisholm at the Winter Meetings. “I think middle infield is probably easier, because it’s something that he’s done. Third still is something he’ll finish off, if that’s where he stays, but I don’t know, it just depends on the directions, the opportunities.”
If the Yankees fail to add a third baseman and keep Chisholm there, internal candidates for second base include Oswaldo Cabrera, who is best suited in a utility role; DJ LeMahieu, who has struggled with performance and health in recent years; Oswald Peraza, who hasn’t shown he can hit big league pitching; and Jorbit Vivas, who has yet to debut.
With Torres gone, the Yankees also don’t have an obvious leadoff man. On-hand choices could include Chisholm and Anthony Volpe, who would each come with flaws in the role.