The New York Yankees have decided to move on from second baseman Gleyber Torres. You can definitely argue that they made that choice when they refused to make him a qualifying offer and then barely kept up with the developments regarding his market, but many people thought they would at least entertain the possibility of bringing him back should he lower his salary expectations.
Gleyber Torres says goodbye to the Yankees, hello to the Tigers
That didn’t happen, as the Detroit Tigers signed the infielder to a one-year, $15 million pact. According to the second baseman himself, there wasn’t much interest on the Yankees’ part to bring him back.
“After the World Series, I got a lot of phone calls from other teams and just focused to get an opportunity in another place. I feel like I have to play where somebody wants to give the best for me, and I just want to be available to do the best for the team. I’ve got great friends there, great communication with the entire organization. I feel proud of myself for being with the Yankees for seven years, but now I’m with Detroit and just really happy they gave me the opportunity to play next year,” Torres said per Yankees insider Bryan Hoch.
Judging by Torres’ words, one can conclude that he wanted at least an approach, an offer from the Yankees. It never came.
The Yankees moved on and so did Torres
“I think they have other priorities and I’m not on the list. I’m good,” he also said.
Torres hit 15 home runs and accumulated a 104 wRC+ in 2024, a down season considering his standards. He boasts a 113 wRC+ for his career and is still in his prime at 28 years old, so the Tigers have every reason to think he can finish around 20 homers with above-average offensive production.
As for the Yankees, they probably want their next season baseman to be a bit more sure-handed on the field and a little less error-prone. That doesn’t mean they don’t appreciate what Torres did for them, though, especially in 2018-19 and 2022-23. All parties have decided to move on, and it’s perfectly OK in the MLB universe.
