The Yankees’ hole at second base will not be filled by the player who manned the position for them for the better part of the last seven seasons.
Gleyber Torres agreed to a deal on Friday morning to play second base for the Tigers, a source confirmed. ESPN reported the deal to be for one year and $15 million.
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman had discussions that at best could be described as casual earlier in the winter with Torres’ representation, but the 28-year-old returning to was always a long shot at best.
Though his time in pinstripes could hardly be described as a disaster, Torres’ rough 2024 — coming in his walk-year before free agency — had the Yankees more than ready to move on.
Torres, in addition to having one of his worst years in the field, hit a disappointing .257 last season, with 15 homers and a .709 OPS. Torres, who angered some in the organization just before the trade deadline by publicly declaring “I’m a second baseman” when the possibility of moving to third was broached and who shortly after that was benched briefly for a lack of hustle, did excel down the stretch after being put in the leadoff spot on Aug. 16, hitting .313 with an .840 OPS over the final 39 games of the regular season.
Still, Torres, acquired as the centerpiece of the Aroldis Chapman trade with the Cubs at the 2016 trade deadline, never did fully recapture the promise shown in his first two full seasons in 2018 and 2019, when he was named to the American League All-Star team. Torres combined to hit .275 with 62 homers and an .849 OPS those first two seasons, then hit a combined .261 with 76 homers and a .743 OPS in five subsequent seasons.
The Yankees came into the offseason with the preference of moving Jazz Chisholm Jr., acquired last July to play third, back to his more natural position at second and acquiring a third baseman either via trade or from the free agent market.
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