When the Detroit Tigers inked Gleyber Torres to a one-year contract last offseason, the plan was clear.
For Torres, join a contender, bounce back from a mediocre 2024, and capitalize on a multi-year deal before age 30. For Detroit, improve the lineup, add a veteran with playoff experience, and keep the financial flexibility by avoiding multiple years.
Well, the Tigers have the ability do seek the same benefit while Torres has a tough decision to make.
The Tigers extended Torres the qualifying offer — a one-year, predetermined $22.05 million deal — that he can either accept and return to Detroit or decline and hit free agency again. If he declines, the Tigers would receive a draft pick if he signs elsewhere.
Obviously, the decision can be risky. Torres started off hot in Detroit before a hernia injury slowed his production. He finished with a .256/.358/.387 slash line with 16 home runs and a 113 wRC+. Considering he’s only 29 years old and comes with a strong track record, a multi-year deal will be on the table.
However, will that be as lucrative as taking the QO, playing a healthy season, and hopefully rolling into a larger, long-term deal next winter? It’s a conundrum Torres and his agent are stuck with.
No matter what his decision is, it will impact the Tigers’ offseason plans — not only from a lineup standpoint, but also from a budgeting perspective.
If Torres Accepts, What’s Next?
If Torres accepts the QO, the Tigers have get a two-hole hitter that posted an .897 OPS against lefties, walked nearly as often as he struck out, and helps balance a lineup that is full of lefties with more on the way. They also remove $22 million from their budget, but only for one season.
Let’s make one thing clear: Torres returning does not, and should not, prevent the Tigers from adding another infielder. At least not from a roster construction standpoint. Kerry Carpenter plays more outfield, and Colt Keith/Torres can see more time at DH — a similar structure to last season.
Wait, how about Just Baseball’s No. 2 overall prospect, Kevin McGonigle? How does he fit into the plans?
I think McGonigle will be on the Opening Day roster. If the Tigers have Torres and sign a third baseman, McGonigle slides into shortstop. Although his long-term outlook is likely to be as a second baseman, he can play short for the time being, where he has mostly played in the minors.
Doing so would allow the Tigers to still add impact player at third, have their top prospect at short, and allow Keith/Torres to play second/DH. Javier Baez and Zach McKinstry, although much better in 2025, will move to utility roles where I think they are best suited.
You have now created legitimate depth that manager AJ Hinch can use, like we know he loves to do, late in games.
Baez can now be used as a pinch hitter for Meadows or Keith against a lefty while also providing an upgrade in the field late in games. McKinstry can come in when they need a ball in play and can then slide anywhere in the field. Those are chess pieces that help you win games.
Fans need to accept that having nine players, on paper, who are starting caliber is not good enough. There’s too many injuries and too much regression from year to year to not keep adding depth.
Are the Tigers convinced that Keith is an everyday starter? Will Parker Meadows bounce back? How repeatable are the years Baez and McKinstry had? If players with options like Wenceel Perez start the year in Toledo, then so be it. Scott Harris should not allow fringe or unproven players to halt him from improving the team with talent and depth.
If Torres Declines, Then What?
If Torres elects to test the market, the need for a veteran righty bat becomes a top priority.
Sure, they could swap McGongile for Torres one-for-one and roll with last year’s roster, but that’s not enough. As much as I believe in McGonigle, there’s too many players with unestablished productive baselines to count on a rookie to provide the amount of boost this offense needs.
They would have the ability to focus on second, short, or third to add an impact bat. The possible player pool increases while their flexibility allows for best player available, within their price range.
The free-agent market is thin at second so I would imagine Keith would get the lion’s share of playing time.
Bo Bichette, who fits many of the traits Detroit wants in a player, should move off short and to second, or third, but I don’t have a great feeling about him landing with the Tigers, although he’d be atop my list.
The need for a third baseman would only be amplified. Detroit has struggled to find their answer at third for a number of years, and the interest in Alex Bregman has not disappeared even after he picked Boston’s deal over the Tigers’ last offseason.
Bregman is another perfect fit that would lift Detroit’s offense from good to great. A righty bat that would fill the gaps in a cavernous Comerica outfield while also bringing plus defense and tons of playoff experience –sign me up.
Of course, these are shooting for the stars scenarios. Lesser options are available via trade or free agency such as Ha-Seong Kim or Alec Bohm. They’re good players, but hardly names that make you feel like the Tigers did enough.
In fact, if the Tigers lose Torres, the pressure to sign one of the “big names” is approaching boom or bust. Selling the fan base on Torres plus another solid addition is possible. Selling the fan base on what we saw last season plus a mid-tier third baseman? A much more difficult path.
How the Money Factors In
Detroit has fluctuated up and down the payroll chart over the past 25 years. We really have not had an opportunity to see how the current ownership and GM will approach payroll with a team that deserves to see a spike in money. This offseason will answer a lot of questions we all have about Chris Ilitch.
When the team is bad, dropping payroll makes sense. I won’t advocate for being cheap, but I’ll allow it under the one condition.
Anytime the team proves it is worthy of a higher payroll, make it happen. I do expect the payroll to increase in 2026, and the Torres decision will factor into the questions of by how much.
Read more
Tarik Skubal‘s long-term future in Detroit and potential extension is a factor to consider in this equation, but the Tigers also have Baez’s $24 million a year coming off after the 2027 season.
With a couple of years of predictable payroll, the Tigers have an opportunity to make a splash deal with or without Torres. The Torres money might prevent them for landing a higher-priced bullpen arm or one-year rotation help, but the multi-year starting pitching and infield market should absolutely be in play.
If Torres does not accept, it might mean they convince a similar caliber of player to take a bounce-back, one-year deal like they did with Flaherty in 2024 or Torres in 2025. That’s appealing, but I’d rather have Torres.
Regardless, his decision should not trigger any excuses for the team to not add an impact player(s). The rest of the roster is cheap enough for the next two seasons to stomach the inflated payroll for now, especially with relief coming from Baez’s contract ending and the four top 100 prospects in the system entering the picture.
Final Thoughts
The more I think about it, the more convinced I am that Torres needs to be in the Tigers’ lineup. Not only has he put up a 110 wRC+ or better three of the past four seasons, but his skill set offers exactly what the Tigers need to balance the top of their lineup.
Could they find similar players? Sure, but how many offer his year-over-year consistency and would be willing to sign a one-year deal? The combination of fit and talent without having to commit money into the future feels important, especially if you add an impactful starting pitcher and third baseman that eat into future years.
If Torres goes elsewhere, the Tigers would get a decent comp pick, which is nice. But not as nice as having a more competitive roster in what could be the last year of Skubal in the old English D.
Leave a Reply