All-Star Slugger Reveals Why He Signed With Detroit Tigers This Offseason
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It's a new season for the Detroit Tigers, who have high hopes for 2025 coming off their first playoff berth since 2014.
While they missed out on Alex Bregman this offseason, they still landed an All-Star infielder in Gleyber Torres. After seven seasons with the New York Yankees, Torres joined the Tigers on a one-year, $15 million deal this winter, reuniting with former teammate Tommy Kahnle.
Despite making two All-Star teams with the Yankees and helping them win the pennant last year, he had his share of ups and downs with New York. A change of scenery could be good for him, especially if Detroit continues its recent upward trajectory.
In the midst of his first spring training with the Tigers, Torres explained why he chose Detroit for the next chapter of his career.
Gleyber Torres says conversations with Gio Urshela, Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez helped persuade him to sign with Detroit this offseason.
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) March 3, 2025
The @Tigers new second baseman joined @CY24_7 on 30 Clubs in 15 Days! pic.twitter.com/WEfVigYCLZ
In an interview with MLB Network analyst Chris Young, the slugging second baseman credited conversations with former Tigers stars Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez and Gio Urshela for helping to persuade him.
Torres and Urshela were Yankees teammates from 2019 to 2021, too, so they already had a connection.
The 28-year-old infielder also cited Detroit's torrid finish last year, which included a 39-26 record after the All-Star break and a playoff upset of the Houston Astros in the Wild Card Series. If that strong second half carries over into 2025, the Tigers could be poised to return to the playoffs this fall.
Torres is joining a young team, so he'll also get a chance to lead after taking a backseat to Aaron Judge and others in New York.
There are plenty of baseball reasons for Torres to like Detroit. The team is also giving him an opportunity to play every day and try to rebuild his value after he posted the second-worst OPS (.709) of his career last year.
Torres wasn't able to win a championship with the Yankees, but perhaps he'll have better luck with the Tigers. If he plays well and helps them contend for a title, he'll set himself up for an even bigger payday next offseason.
