Yankees former second baseman Gleyber Torres signs new deal with Detroit Tigers

The Detroit Tigers signed former New York Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres to a $15 million, one-year contract on Friday.

The two-time All-Star gets a slight raise from his $14.2 million salary with the Yankees. His agreement includes a one-time assignment bonus of $500,000.

Torres hit .265 with 138 home runs and 441 RBIs in seven seasons with the Yankees, who acquired him from the Cubs in the July 2016 trade that sent closer Aroldis Chapman to Chicago.

The 28-year-old infielder hit .257 with 15 homers, 63 RBIs and 26 doubles last season while helping the Yankees win the AL East and reach the World Series, where they lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games. He was hitting .221 with eight homers and 30 RBIs in 86 games through July 4, then batted .298 with seven homers and 30 RBIs in his last 68 games.

Thank you for everything, Gleyber 💙 pic.twitter.com/Y9dRJ6ngAj

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) December 27, 2024

"Thank you. The Yankees were my family since 2016," Torres said in a post on social media. "A simple boy from Venezuela with great aspirations to play in the most epic city in the world, the Yankees gave me all the love and support I needed to achieve my childhood dream. Wearing pinstripes was an honor for me and my family."

The Yankees responded "Thank you, Gleyber. Wishing you all the best," with a blue heart emoji.

Torres' 18 errors were six more than any other major league second baseman. He was benched for a June 27 game against the New York Mets after a poor performance in the Subway Series opener, then was pulled by manager Aaron Boone for lack of hustle in an Aug. 2 game against Toronto. Torres responded well to Boone's decision and did not have similar issues for the rest of the season.

Tigers President of Baseball Operations Scott Harris told reporters Torres is expected to play second in Detroit while Colt Keith, whose 12 errors at second last season were second to Torres' total, will shift to first base. Torres was the Yankees shortstop until September 2021, when he was shifted to second after making 18 errors, including four in the prior week.

Torres, a native of Caracas, Venezuela, was originally signed in 2013 by the Cubs and included in a deal in 2016 with Adam Warren, Billy McKinney and Rashad Crawford that sent Chapman to Chicago. The Cubs ended up beating Cleveland in the World Series that year, ending a 108-year drought.

Torres moved quickly through the minors and made his major league debut in 2018 with the Yankees. He homered in four straight games as a rookie, and at 21 years, 163 days old, became the youngest player in American League history to accomplish the feat. Torres also was selected for the first of two consecutive All-Star Games. He finished third that year in AL Rookie of the Year balloting behind winner Shohei Ohtani and then-teammate Miguel Andújar.

He also was successful in the playoffs for the Yankees, posting a .795 OPS with seven home runs and 25 RBIs in six postseasons for New York. His 16.2% strikeout rate ranks fifth among players with at least 150 postseason plate appearances since the start of the 2018 season.

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Read Gleyber Torres' full statement on social media:

"Wow where to start or how to start...

Thank you. The Yankees were my family since 2016. A simple boy from Venezuela with great aspirations to play in the most epic city in the world, the Yankees gave me all the love and support I needed to achieve my childhood dream. Wearing pinstripes was an honor for me and my family.

To the entire organization, coaches and all of the game day staff, thank you. You taught me so much on and off the field, even the little things, and I will always have them in my heart.

Yankee Fans, thank you for the everything. Thank you for the unconditional support, you were always there to motivate me when I had good times and, not so good times.

My teammates, I love you all. Thank you for the great experiences and trust, allowing me to compete with you for the same purpose since day 1. You will always be with me.

Thank you New York Yankees"