Gleyber Torres remained in contact with the Yankees after the World Series concluded, but it was clear to him the team’s interest in continuing the relationship was minimal.
So the fact the Yankees never extended an offer to Torres in free agency before he agreed to a one-year contract worth $15 million with the Tigers in recent days didn’t come as a surprise to the 28-year-old infielder.
“I think [the Yankees] have all their priorities and I wasn’t on the list,” Torres said Saturday on a Zoom call with reporters.
Torres said his focus moved beyond the Yankees immediately after the World Series when he began hearing from other teams.
Last season he produced a .708 OPS that was the second-lowest of his career while providing subpar defense at second base, where he was minus-4 in outs above average (OAA) – placing him in MLB’s 15th percentile, according to Statcast.
Torres’ underwhelming numbers led him to pursue a one-year contract that will allow him to test free agency again next offseason.
“The season I had, I started slow in the first half,” Torres said. “Everything was better in the second half, but still the numbers I had were not right for going into free agency, especially with my age. I was just telling my agents to look for a one-year deal. I always believe in myself. I bet on myself, so just in this process I was trying to find the right place to play for one year.”
The Nationals and Angels were among the other teams from which Torres said he received offers.
He will now join a Tigers team that crystalized in the second half last season to secure an American League wildcard berth.
“I have to play where somebody wants to give the best for me,” Torres said. “I have great friends there [with the Yankees], great communication with the entire organization and I feel proud of myself for being with the Yankees for seven years.”
It’s been an active offseason for the Yankees, but the team still has a question mark in the infield.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. could play second or third base, with Oswaldo Cabrera, Oswald Peraza and DJ LeMahieu remaining as possibilities to play the other position if another infielder isn’t acquired through a trade or free agency.
The Yankees watched Juan Soto jump to the Mets on a record contract worth $765 million over 15 years, but wasted little time retooling the lineup by trading for Cody Bellinger before signing Paul Goldschmidt to a one-year contract worth $12.5 million.
The team also bolstered the pitching staff by signing Max Fried to an eight-year contract worth $218 million before trading for All-Star closer Devin Williams.
Torres arrived to the Yankees in a 2016 trade that sent Aroldis Chapman to the Cubs.
With the Tigers, he will be united with Javier Baez, whom he knows from the Cubs organization.
Baez, who spent part of 2021 with the Mets, has been a major disappointment in his three seasons since signing a six-year contract worth $140 million with the Tigers.
“I know his entire career has been highs and lows, but next year is another opportunity to be great,” Torres said.
