Tigers sign polarizing Yankees slugger as infield picture gets more crowded

After a deafeningly quiet start to the offseason, the Detroit Tigers are finally making some noise in free agency.

Much of the focus has been on the likelihood of Detroit landing coveted free agent third baseman Alex Bregman; but in a shocking turn of events, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported Friday morning that the Tigers have signed former New York Yankees infielder Gleyber Torres. ESPN's Jesse Rogers further reported that Torres' deal with Detroit is for one year at $15 million and that he will start at second base for the Tigers.

Torres has spent his entire seven-year MLB career with the Yankees, posting a career slash line of .265/.334/.441/.774 with 138 home runs and 441 RBI. Torres is coming off a down season by his standards, slashing .257/.330/.378 with 15 home runs and 63 RBI in 154 games in 2024.

Tigers sign Gleyber Torres to one-year, $15 million deal as infield picture gets more crowded

Torres' arrival in Detroit supplants Colt Keith at second base. Assuming Keith doesn't become trade bait for the Tigers – it seems highly unlikely that he would, especially if Torres' deal is only for one year – it's possible that he will move to first base for Detroit in 2025. As first baseman Spencer Torkelson's future with the Tigers remains unclear, Keith has reportedly been working at first base in the offseason and will be getting more reps there during Spring Training.

Signing Torres complicates the Tigers' infield picture for 2025, but it still doesn't rule out the possibility of them signing Bregman. Torres, who played primarily at second base and shortstop for the Yankees last season, reportedly turned down an offer from the Washington Nationals because he didn't want to change positions. Now that he is locked in to play at second base in Detroit, the Tigers still have a need to address at third.

Now, the Tigers have the option to become active on the trade market, dealing from their infield depth (to get a pitcher, perhaps?) and creating space for Bregman at the hot corner. Regardless of what happens, the Torres signing will likely create a domino effect in Detroit that bears watching as the offseason progresses.

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