The Tigers and free agent infielder Gleyber Torres are reportedly in settlement on a one-year, $15M contract, pending the completion of a bodily. Torres, an Octagon shopper, is predicted to be Detroit’s common second baseman within the upcoming season.
Torres, who turned 28 earlier this month, has spent his complete massive league profession in Yankee pinstripes. The once-vaunted prime prospect seemed like a breakout star in 2019 when he socked 38 dwelling runs in simply 144 video games, however Torres wound up settling in as a stable common at second base moderately than the celebrity shortstop he gave the impression to be on the cusp of changing into in ’19. Since that stellar 2019 marketing campaign — which got here in MLB’s juiced-ball season — Torres has slashed .261/.332/.411. That’s about 9% higher than common, by measure of wRC+ (which weights for dwelling park and league run-scoring surroundings in a given season).
The 2024 season was shaping as much as be a career-worst displaying for Torres on the midway level. By his first 80 video games, he turned in an anemic .215/.294/.333 slash (81 wRC+) with a 23.9% strikeout price that was nicely north of the 19.3% mark he’d posted over the prior 5 seasons. Torres righted the ship in late June and rebounded to a .298/.365/.421 slash with a much-improved 17.3% strikeout price down the stretch.
Torres steps right into a Detroit infield that’s missing in any actual certainty. Colt Keith, who hit .285/.330/.429 in 445 plate appearances after a horrible begin to his rookie season, seems to be the one different infield lock. He performed second base in 2024 however has expertise on the sizzling nook. Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press writes that the group prefers to not play Keith at third on account of some damage issues relating to his proper shoulder. Keith has taken reps at first base, and whereas he’s but to play there in an expert sport, he might get additional work there this spring within the occasion of a possible place shift.
In the meantime, Javier Baez is signed for 3 extra seasons at $24M per yr, however he’s performed himself out of a beginning position. He’ll ultimately be a launch candidate if he can’t rebound to no less than some extent (although the Tigers have prompt this winter that they nonetheless see a job for Baez in ’25). Former prime decide Spencer Torkelson belted 32 homers in 2023 however flailed by way of an unsightly 2024 marketing campaign and has but to ascertain himself as a viable massive league common. Trey Sweeney confirmed a giant league-ready glove at shortstop however didn’t hit in 36 massive league video games throughout final yr’s second-half debut. Prime prospect Jace Jung drew heaps of walks (16%) in 94 plate appearances late final season however might be ticketed for Triple-A piece or (speculatively talking) some publicity to left discipline. Matt Vierling might additionally consider on the sizzling nook, although he can play within the outfield.
The glut of infield choices, even with lots of them unproven, offers the Tigers some flexibility about dealing with the remainder of the offseason. Younger gamers like Sweeney and Jung would command appreciable commerce curiosity. Torkelson is a viable change-of-scenery candidate, particularly if the Tigers plan to provide Keith a outstanding position at first base. Torkelson might issue into the primary base/DH combine, however he’s hardly a lock to take action after hitting .221/.300/.392 by way of his first 361 massive league video games.
The Tigers have been linked to free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman. Nevertheless, that’d be a significantly bigger signing than they’ve made at any level beneath present president of baseball operations Scott Harris. Among the hyperlinks there are absolutely because of the presence of former Astros skipper A.J. Hinch within the Detroit dugout. Petzold reported earlier within the week that Bregman has become more of a priority for the Tigers because the offseason has worn on, however the addition of Torres clouds the infield combine a bit extra. A match might come collectively, notably if the Tigers need to transfer somebody like Jung in a deal for rotation assist.
Concerning payroll, there’s no purpose to assume the Tigers can’t make one other outstanding addition after including Torres. They entered the offseason with solely Baez, Keith and Kenta Maeda on assured offers for the upcoming season. Torres and fellow free agent pickup Alex Cobb have pushed the group to a projected $109M payroll, per RosterResource’s projections. That’s nowhere close to the group’s franchise-record $200M payroll from 2017. And whereas that degree of spending got here beneath the possession of the late Mike Ilitch, even Ilitch’s son, Chris, has licensed payrolls as excessive as $135M in current seasons (2022).
Jon Heyman of the New York Submit first reported that Torres had agreed to a cope with the Tigers. ESPN’s Jesse Rogers first reported the phrases.
