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Gleyber Torres bets on himself with Detroit Tigers with $100M in mind
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- Gleyber Torres bets on himself with Detroit Tigers with $100M in mind
Gleyber Torres told his agent exactly what he wanted.
It wasn't a multi-year contract.
In early November, Torres met with Octagon agent Jose Mijares before MLB's general manager meetings, an annual event when agents and teams set the groundwork for future deals. While Mijares was prepared to get as many years and as much money as possible, the two-time All-Star second baseman had other plans for the 2024-25 offseason.
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Torres wanted a one-year contract.
"I really believe in myself," said Torres, who prioritized American League teams and preferred a spring training facility in Florida as a first-time free agent. "I always bet on myself. In this process, I tried to find the right place to play one year. I got a few opportunities with other teams, but the young team in Detroit , the group looks like a family."
Jun 28, 2024: Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New York Yankees second base Gleyber Torres (25) celebrates after hitting a home run against the Toronto Blue Jays during the sixth inning at Rogers Centre.
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Over the Christmas holiday, Torres — who turned 28 in mid-December — signed a one-year, $15 million contract with the Detroit Tigers . The agreement between Torres and the Tigers happened approximately eight weeks after he instructed his agent to secure a one-year deal.
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He wouldn't even entertain the possibility of a two-year contract with an opt-out clause after the first season. All he wanted was a standard one-year contract.
Torres is eager to improve his performance from 2024 and return to free agency after the 2025 season, seeking a contract worth more than $100 million.
"He had a lot of opportunity to go to different places this winter on longer deals than the one he took," Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris said , "but his agents were very upfront with me about his desire to bet on himself, and honestly, that made me want him more."
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In 2024, Torres hit .257 with 15 home runs, 65 walks and 136 strikeouts across 154 games in his final season with New York Yankees , posting a .709 OPS. While the results were average — his OPS+, a metric that adjusts for external factors like ballparks and sets the league average at 100, was 101 — it was still the second-worst season of his seven-year MLB career.
It was a tale of two halves: Torres hit .215 with seven homers and a .628 OPS in his first 80 games, from March 28 through June 25, then he hit .298 with eight homers and a .786 OPS in his final 74 games, from June 28 through Sept. 29.
"Something clicked in the second half," Torres said. "During the (All-Star) break, I flew to Tampa. I live in Tampa, and I have a facility in Tampa. I had my own hitting coach with me, and we shared information in those three days. I felt the click. After that, everyone was going in a good way."
From June 28 on, Torres ranked tied for 17th in on-base percentage (.365) among 148 qualified position players, tied for 19th in batting average (.298), tied for 40th in walk rate (10.1%), 40th in strikeout rate (17.2%), 59th in OPS (.786) and tied for 119th in isolated power (.124).
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It was a solid finish, but the full-season stats weren't enough to secure Torres a big payday in free agency.
"The numbers I had were not right for going into free agency, especially with my age," said Torres, who co-owns a hitting facility in Tampa with ex-Tiger Gio Urshela . "I was just telling my agents to look for a one-year deal."
Oct 29, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres (25) reacts after hitting a three run home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the eighth inning during game four of the 2024 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
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So that's what the Octagon agents, led by Mijares, told teams at the general manager meetings in early November and winter meetings in early December. His agent requested only one-year contracts from the start of the offseason, so there weren't any multi-year offers on the table.
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Many teams besides the Tigers were interested in Torres, including the Boston Red Sox , Cincinnati Reds , Cleveland Guardians , Los Angeles Angels , San Francisco Giants , Toronto Blue Jays and Washington Nationals . The Blue Jays initially showed strong interest, but the Tigers ultimately made him a priority.
"We think there's more in there on both sides of the ball," Harris said. "If you go back and look at his season, we saw him tap into a little bit more of his offensive upside in the second half and the postseason. We think there's more in there. Gleyber does, too. And then defensively, we also think there's more in there."
The Yankees never made an offer to reunite with Torres.
"I think they have all their priorities," Torres said, "and I'm not on the list."
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At least two teams were in the same $15 million salary range as the Tigers on a one-year contract.
The Tigers separated themselves based on the conversations Torres had with Harris, manager A.J. Hinch and infield coach Joey Cora . Aside from that, the Tigers committed to Torres as their everyday second baseman, moving Colt Keith to first base .
"I had Washington, the Angels and a couple more teams," said Torres, who rejected an offer from the Nationals because it would've required a switch to third base. "Maybe in those conversations they never offered me what I was looking for."
Jun 11, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; New York Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres (25) warms up before a game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Aiken-USA TODAY Sports
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The teamwork of Harris and Hinch sealed the deal for the Tigers, with Harris expertly handling the negotiations with the Octagon agents and Hinch convincing Torres that Detroit was the best fit for him in the upcoming season, despite the other one-year offers.
"I'm going to give my 100% to my team, try to help the younger players with my experience and try to win as a team," Torres said. "I'm not going to say I'll hit .400 next year. I'm just going to play the best I can to help the team get back to the playoffs again."
The newest Tiger was an All-Star in 2018 and 2019, but he hasn't earned that recognition since then. If he regains All-Star status in 2025, he could become the most coveted free-agent second baseman next offseason, following his age-28 season.
Torres wants a nine-figure contract.
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The Tigers want to help Torres reach his personal goals, while Torres tries to help the Tigers achieve their team goal of winning the American League Central for the first time since 2014.
"It was unique enough that we were very aggressive to try to land it," Harris said, referencing the rare combination of proven performance, postseason experience and young age on a one-year contract. "I was on the phone for most of Christmas Eve, which my family didn't really appreciate, but we feel like adding Gleyber made us better."
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold .
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Gleyber Torres Detroit Tigers deal is a $100M bet on himself
