Gleyber Torres Deal SHAKES Detroit! What Happens Next Will Stun You!

Even with those late-season struggles and that offseason surgery, the Detroit Tigers seem pretty happy to be bringing back Gleyber Torres. The question now is, what does this mean for both him and the team as we head into what promises to be a pivotal offseason?

Gleyber Torres Deal SHAKES Detroit! What Happens N...

Coming off what most would agree was a disappointing year with the Yankees in 2024, Torres really bet on himself with that one-year, $15 million deal with the Tigers in 2025. It certainly paid off, leading to his first All-Star appearance in six years. It wasn’t quite the multi-year "pillow contract" the veteran second baseman might have envisioned, but it did result in a decent raise for 2026 after Torres accepted Detroit’s one-year, $22.025 million qualifying offer this month. You know, if he’d kept hitting the way he did before the All-Star break—he had an .812 OPS at the time—he might have seen some more lucrative, long-term offers.

But, that hernia injury really seemed to impact his production down the stretch. He slashed .223/.320/.339 in the second half, and by the end of the year, Torres was back to being just a slightly above league-average hitter. Still valuable, sure, but not the kind of performance that gets you a guaranteed five-year deal these days. So, the Tigers clearly saw enough to bring him back, but it also suggests some caution about the long-term viability of their current infield.

It’s worth remembering that the Tigers’ third basemen ranked in the bottom ten in MLB in both fWAR and OPS last year. Their shortstops also, as a group, hit well below league average. Bringing Torres back potentially unlocks some solutions. The thinking seems to be that Colt Keith will get a real shot at third base. Then there's top prospect Kevin McGonigle, who can play multiple infield positions and could be a factor at some point next season. The Tigers could decide to give their young infielders a shot and, instead, focus on adding pitching. And boy, do they need it.

Which brings us to the big question looming over Detroit this winter: could they actually trade Tarik Skubal? This is the last year of team control for the back-to-back American League Cy Young Award winner. Trading him would be shocking, frankly. They need more starting pitching, as it is! However, if they don’t think they can re-sign him long term, it’s going to be a constant point of discussion. At the very least, they'll probably have to listen to offers. I can already hear the phone lines buzzing. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images)

Ultimately, if Torres can recapture that first-half magic and maintain it for a full season, the long-term deal he’s been chasing might finally materialize. He can’t be given the qualifying offer again, so that could create a more competitive free-agent market for him if he has a strong 2026 season. He's still in his 20s, too, and if he can fully recover from the hernia, there's reason to believe he can improve on his first year in Detroit. Given he doesn't offer much defensively or in terms of speed, his bat absolutely needs to produce. The pressure is on. What happens next with Torres will be fascinating to watch, not to mention how the rest of the second base market shakes out. This is going to be an interesting offseason, folks.