Former New York Yankees Star Reveals Why He Joined AL Rival

Gleyber Torres explains why he left the New York Yankees for the Detroit Tigers this offseason.

Oct 29, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres (25) rounds the bases after hitting a three-run home run. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The New York Yankees lost multiple key members of their pennant-winning team this offseason, including Juan Soto, Gleyber Torres and Tommy Kahnle.

While the Yankees also added stars like Max Fried, Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt to their roster, time will tell if they can handle the pressure of playing in New York and help their new team get over the hump.

Meanwhile, Torres will try to do the same with the Detroit Tigers, who haven't won a World Series since 1984. After seven rollercoaster seasons with the Yankees, he settled for a one-year, $15 million deal with the Tigers this winter.

In the midst of his first spring training with his new team, Torres explained why he left New York and picked Detroit for the next phase of his career.

Gleyber Torres says conversations with Gio Urshela, Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez helped persuade him to sign with Detroit this offseason.

The @Tigers new second baseman joined @CY24_7 on 30 Clubs in 15 Days! pic.twitter.com/WEfVigYCLZ

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) March 3, 2025

In an interview with MLB Network analyst Chris Young, the two-time All-Star 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 noted Detroit's impressive second half last year, which included a torrid 31-13 finish to secure a Wild Card berth. If the Tigers can build off that, they could be even better this year.

Torres is joining a young team, so he'll get to play every day and provide veteran leadership after deferring to Aaron Judge and others in New York. He'll also get to play for A.J. Hinch, who is widely considered one of the best managers in baseball (especially compared to Aaron Boone).

Ultimately, Detroit was an attractive destination for Torres, who needed a change of scenery after years of dealing with intense Yankees fans and media. The constant stress may have affected his performance, which dipped to the second-lowest OPS (.709) of his career in 2024.

It remains to be seen if a new city, manager and teammates can help Torres return to form. If he does, New York may regret letting him walk this offseason.