Gleyber Torres Turned Down Washington Nationals Over Position Change: Report

Turns out, the Washington Nationals have been busier in free agency than originally thought, according to the New York Post’s Jon Heyman.
The Nationals have been looking for answers at both first base and third base this offseason. Washington found its answer at first base right before Christmas Day with a trade, dealing reliever Robert Garcia to the Texas Rangers for Nathaniel Lowe.
Well, at third base, Heyman reported that the Nationals made New York Yankees free agent Gleyber Torres an offer but he turned it down. The reason? Torres, who played second base for the Yankees, didn’t want to change positions.
Torres played 867 games with the Yankees, exclusively at either second base or shortstop.
Heyman did not report financial details of the offer.
Torres played all seven of his Major League seasons with the Yankees, as he broke in during the 2018 season. As a rookie he earned an All-Star berth, along with another his 2019 season. As a rookie he finished third in American League voting after he slashed .271/.340/.480/.820 with 24 home runs and 77 RBI.
The following season, in 2018, he has his best power season, as he slashed .278/.337/.535/.871 with 38 home runs and 90 RBI.
He’s been productive each of the last three seasons but his power number did take a downturn last season. He hit just 15 home runs with 63 RBI while batting .257.
For his career, the 27-year-old has slashed .265/.334/.441/.774 with 138 home runs and 441 RBI.
Torres would have been a great offensive addition to the Nationals, who won 71 games in 2024, marking the second straight season they finished with 71 victories. It also marked Washington's fifth straight losing season since it won the 2019 World Series, which was the first championship in franchise history.
Washington now has one of the best young rosters in baseball, one it hopes gets the team over .500 in 2025.
Several of the players that the Nationals received in the Juan Soto trade in 2022 are in the Majors, including outfielder James Wood. Washington's 2023 first-round pick, Dylan Crews, is expected to be the opening-day right fielder after making his debut last year.
The Nationals also have budding young stars in outfielder Jacob Young, shortstop C.J. Abrams and second baseman Luis Garcia Jr., along with catcher Keibert Ruiz. The expected starting rotation is led by young pitchers like MacKenzie Gore and D.J. Herz.
The Nationals also signed pitcher Michael Soroka to a one-year deal, hoping that the former All-MLB starter in in 2019 can reclaim his former form after a lost season with the Chicago White Sox, preceded by missing two seasons due to an Achilles injury.