Tigers might've taken miscalculated gamble with Gleyber Torres' qualfying offer

Gleyber Torres was one of a record-breaking four players to accept the qualifying offer on the Nov. 18 deadline. He'll return to the Tigers for one more guaranteed year and $22.025 million.

None of the players who got the offer were locks to accept, but Torres and Yankees outfielder Trent Grisham were specifically interesting cases. If they'd gone into free agency, they probably would've gotten three- or four-year offers around $15-17 million per year — so, the security of a multi-year deal, but far less money on an AAV basis than the QO.

Grisham, like Torres, ended up accepting, which has made a bit of a mess for the Yankees, who were definitely betting him going into free agency and getting a compensatory draft pick. Now, they have an overcrowded outfield and a guy making a lot more than he'll likely be worth next season.

The Tigers do love Torres — GM Jeff Greenberg wondered aloud what the team would do without him — but they might be in a similar boat.

Detroit's infield picture is complicated, and Torres' presence initially seemed to offer some clarification. However, as the offseason has progressed, the Tigers still have more questions than answers.

Giving Gleyber Torres the qualifying offer might come back to bite the Tigers

The Tigers' rumored interest in second baseman Ketel Marte has been a little dubious to Tigers fans in large part because of Torres' presence. He's never played anything but second since 2022, after totally flaming out as a shortstop with the Yankees. Marte has some history at short, third, and even in the outfield, but he's spent the overwhelming majority of his career innings at second, and he's the superior player on both sides of the ball.

Detroit could move Torres into a more regular DH role to upgrade their defense at second with Marte, but that could mean making Kerry Carpenter a full-time right fielder, which would be a massive defensive downgrade. Carpenter also hasn't proven that he can be effective enough against lefties to be guaranteed a full-time job.

They could platoon Torres and Carpenter at DH, but then they're paying $22.025 million to a part-time DH, on top of whatever Carpenter will get to avoid arbitration and the money they'd take of from the Diamondbacks for Marte.

Tigers fans are certainly fond of Torres. If he can get back to his first-half, pre-hernia 2025 self next season, he'll be an asset to the lineup. But given the opportunities they might leave on the table because of him and infield questions he still doesn't clarify, getting him back could end up being more harm than good.