A return to the Yankees was not in the cards for Gleyber Torres.
The second baseman said the Yankees were not particularly aggressive during his free agency before he signed a one-year, $15 million contract with the Detroit Tigers late last week.
“I didn’t really have any offer from them,” Torres said during an introductory Zoom call.
Torres, 28, had expressed hope in the past that he would re-sign with the Yankees, including during spring training when he said he wanted to be “a Yankee for life.”
But Torres, who spent his first seven MLB seasons in pinstripes, suffered a drop in production in his walk year, batting .257 with 15 home runs, 63 RBI and a .709 OPS in 2024. His 18 errors led MLB second basemen.
Torres finished strong with a .306 average and a .792 OPS during the final two months of the regular season, a stretch in which he flourished after moving to the Yankees’ leadoff spot. He batted .241 with two home runs and eight RBI in 14 playoff games, which proved to be his final appearances with the Yankees.
“I have to play where somebody wants to give the best for me,” Torres said.
Torres’ representation stayed in touch with the Yankees during the offseason, the infielder said Saturday, echoing comments made by general manager Brian Cashman earlier in the month.
“I’ve got great friends there, great communication with the entire organization,” Torres said. “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.”
Originally acquired as a top prospect in the 2016 trade that sent closer Aroldis Chapman to the Chicago Cubs, the righty-swinging Torres earned two All-Star selections and hit at least 24 home runs in four of his seasons with the Yankees.
But Torres was briefly benched twice in 2024. The first instance came in June, when manager Aaron Boone saw an opportunity to help the struggling hitter “reset” but also acknowledged Torres’ failure to run out a ground ball caught his attention. Boone cited a groin issue for Torres at the time as well.
The second instance came in early August after Torres failed to hustle out of the batter’s box on what ended up being a long single.
Following his down performance in 2024, Torres prioritized a one-year prove-it contract in free agency.
“He had a lot of opportunities to go to different places this winter on longer deals than the one he took,” Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris said. “But his agents were very upfront with me about his desire to bet on himself, and honestly, that made me want him more.”
Torres’ departure leaves a void atop the Yankees’ lineup and a vacancy in their infield. Jazz Chisholm Jr., who played third base after arriving in a midseason trade in July, could move back to his more natural second base in 2025, depending on if the Yankees add a third baseman.
DJ LeMahieu, who hit .204 during an injury-riddled 2024 season, and utility man Oswaldo Cabrera are in-house infield options.
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