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Philadelphia Phillies' Gleyber Torres Buzz is Definitely Concerning
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- Philadelphia Phillies' Gleyber Torres Buzz is Definitely Concerning
The Philadelphia Phillies are in need of some infield help this winter. Luis Arraez and Alec Bohm are both on the free-agent market, and while Bryce Harper will be moving back to first base, the Phillies will still need to find at least one replacement.
In theory, Philadelphia could install top prospect Aidan Miller at the hot corner. The Phillies did start Justin Crawford in center field during his rookie campaign, after all. But it seems more likely they'll try and find a veteran solution.
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Bringing back Arraez should be the top priority considering how much his presence improved Philadelphia's lineup after coming over at the MLB trade deadline, but he could prove to be a bit too expensive.
So where else could the Phillies turn?
Well, one option that continues being connected to Philadelphia is Gleyber Torres, who spent 2026 with the Detroit Tigers and slashed .260/.364/.363 with eight home runs and 38 RBI over 420 plate appearances.
Torres was limited to 96 games due to oblique issues, but when he was available, he did a fine job of getting on base (13.6 percent walk rate).
That was about all he did, though.
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Torres posted a .103 ISO, the lowest mark of his big-league career. His barrel rate of 6.1 percent was his second-lowest, and his 32.3 percent hard-hit rate was his worst result by a rather large margin.
The 29-year-old showed extreme offensive potential during his early years with the New York Yankees, smashing 38 homers back in 2019, but he hasn't even approached that number since, topping out at 25 in 2023. That was the last time he hit 20 long balls.
Torres has also historically been a poor defender, and he doesn't offer a whole lot in terms of speed on the basepaths.
So really, what would be the point of adding Torres? The increased walk rate is nice, but his power shortage is a big concern, particularly considering he doesn't offer a whole lot in the way of consistent contact.
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At least Arraez is a lifetime .316 hitter with three batting titles to his name, and someone like Brandon Lowe — who bashed 35 home runs in 2026 — would be a fantastic addition given his penchant for the long ball.
It should also be noted that both Arraez and Lowe had career-best defensive showings as well this past season.
Torres would be cheaper than both, but would he actually improve the Phillies in any way? The thought here is that he would just be same old, same old for Philadelphia. Avoid him.
