Did Gleyber Torres signing just squeeze Spencer Torkelson off Tigers roster?

The writing has been on the wall for a while now regarding Spencer Torkelson's future with the Detroit Tigers, but the club signing Gleyber Torres in free agency seems to have been the final nail in the coffin.

The former New York Yankees slugger agreed to a one-year, $15 million contract with the Tigers to be their starting second baseman, creating a ripple effect throughout the rest of the Detroit infield, and raising immediate questions. If Torres is locked in at second base, does Colt Keith move to a corner infield position? If so, does the Torres deal rule out the possibility of the Tigers signing free agent third baseman Alex Bregman? And what happens with Spencer Torkelson and Jace Jung?

In short, it appears that the Tigers aren't guaranteeing their rookies and young players much of anything, despite the second-half success in 2024 that propelled them all the way to the ALDS. Positions will have to be earned, and a little healthy competition in Spring Training certainly isn't a bad thing.

Scott Harris made things official on Friday: the team views Keith as their first baseman, meaning Alex Bregman is very much in play at third, and Torkelson's role may very well be elsewhere come Opening Day.

In signing Gleyber Torres, Tigers squeezed Spencer Torkelson out of infield picture in Detroit

Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reported earlier this month at the MLB Winter Meetings that both Keith and Justyn-Henry Malloy have been getting work at first base this offseason and would continue to do so at spring training. Clearly, the team viewed that increased flexibility as more than just a lark.

At the other corner of the Tigers' infield, rookie third baseman Jace Jung hasn't been guaranteed a starting spot in 2025. Torres has made it clear that he does not want to play third, so the door is technically still open for the Tigers to sign Bregman to add some more power and veteran stability to their lineup.

Regardless of what happens at third, the odd man out here appears to be Torkelson. Although Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris reiterated at Winter Meetings that the team hasn't given up on him, the former No. 1 overall pick in 2020 has yet to establish a foothold at the major league level. Between the Torres signing and Keith's seemingly imminent move to first base, it appears that Detroit has already begun to make plans for a future without Torkelson.

Infield depth is a good problem for any team to have, and in this case, it gives the Tigers some weapons to use on the trade market (perhaps to add another starting pitcher, which would behoove them in the long run). Whether it spells the end for Torkelson or something else entirely, it appears that the Tigers signing Torres should be viewed a precursor to more moves.

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