The Blue Jays confirmed “robust curiosity” in second baseman Gleyber Torres early in his free company, per a report from Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. Petzold goes on to report that the Giants, Reds, and Guardians have been among the many groups to indicate curiosity in Torres earlier than he signed with the Tigers. Alex Speier of the Boston Globe beforehand reported that the Crimson Sox confirmed curiosity within the infielder however by no means reached the purpose of creating a proper provide, and Petzold confirms that curiosity.
The Blue Jays made loads of sense as a speculative match for Torres early within the winter, and he was even loosely related to them earlier this winter. After dropping Matt Chapman in free company final winter and dealing away each Justin Turner and Isaiah Kiner-Falefa over the summer time, the Jays entered the winter in want of infield assist. In a skinny marketplace for infielders, Torres was among the many higher choices not anticipated to command a long-term, nine-figure contract. In truth, Petzold notes that Torres emphasised to his agent this winter that he wasn’t keen on something greater than a strict one-year contract, even eschewing the potential of a two-year cope with an opt-out clause.
Petzold provides that Torres took this stance in hopes of betting on himself and touchdown the aforementioned nine-figure deal he was certain to be locked out of this winter following an up-and-down platform season that noticed him end with a 104 wRC+ and simply 1.7 fWAR. That want for a one-year deal seemingly made him an particularly enticing goal for a Blue Jays group that not solely faces loads of uncertainty following the 2025 season due to the approaching free company of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. but additionally due to the membership’s group of younger infielders who may theoretically play their approach into common roles sooner or later.
It’s not clear if the Jays’ reported curiosity in Torres persevered even after they traded for second baseman Andrés Giménez earlier this winter. Even when it had, although, Torres obvious choice for remaining at second base seemingly would have created a serious impediment for the perimeters, seemingly leaving Toronto ready the place they’d must deal shortstop Bo Bichette and transfer Giménez to quick as a way to open up the keystone for Torres. Whereas Bichette is coming off an much more troublesome season (71 wRC+, 0.3 fWAR) than Torres’s 2024 marketing campaign, Bichette had been a constant four-to-five win participant all through his profession previous to getting bit by the harm bug final 12 months and can be a troublesome participant for the Jays to half with until they bought a hefty bundle in return.
As for the opposite reported suitors for Torres’s companies, the Guardians seemingly solely turned a match for Torres after buying and selling Giménez to Toronto. Juan Brito, Gabriel Arias, and Daniel Schneemann at present determine to separate time on the keystone for Cleveland in Giménez’s absence, however a transparent on a regular basis participant like Torres can be a definitive improve over that timeshare between kids. What’s extra, shifting on from Giménez and his hefty $106.5MM contract seemingly helped unlock payroll that might make signing a participant of Torres’s caliber doable even for the low-budget Guardians. With Torres now off the market and headed to a division rival, it’s completely possible that the Guardians may now pivot to a different second base possibility out there in free company like Jorge Polanco or Whit Merrifield.
The Reds, in contrast, are a considerably shocking suitor for Torres. The membership has loads of infield choices out there already, with Elly De La Cruz and Matt McLain at present locking up the center infield whereas some mixture of Noelvi Marte, Jeimer Candelario, and Christian Encarnacion-Strand deal with the infield corners. Including a pure second baseman who lacks positional versatility like Torres would’ve sophisticated issues, although it’s definitely doable to squeeze him in by shifting McLain over to the recent nook, using Candelario at first base, and leaving Encarnacion-Strand and Marte to combat for plate appearances at DH or in a part-time function.
Given the membership’s dreadful 87 wRC+ total final 12 months, even Torres’s diminished outcomes from 2024 would offer the Reds with a considerable enhance to their lineup. That enhance might have made determining a solution to squeeze Torres into the lineup value doing, however the Reds seem to have already kind of maxed out their payroll and appear unlikely to have been in a position to match the $15MM wage Detroit supplied the infielder. The Giants are one other reported suitor whose curiosity in Torres comes with problems, notably given the truth that the membership landed shortstop Willy Adames on the eve of the Winter Conferences. It’s doable that San Francisco’s curiosity in Torres predated their cope with Adames, although it’s additionally possible the membership was prepared to signal each gamers and push Tyler Fitzgerald right into a utility function coming into the season.
As for the Crimson Sox, the membership definitely made sense as a match for Torres given their huge open second base scenario. Boston acquired Vaughn Grissom from the Braves final winter in hopes that he may lock up the place, however accidents and ineffectiveness led to one thing of a misplaced season in 2024. That leaves the place with no clear incumbent headed into 2025, with Grissom, David Hamilton, and prime prospect Kristian Campbell among the many inner choices. Including Torres to the combo would’ve eased the strain on Campbell to carry out instantly upon reaching the majors whereas offering an improve over Grissom and Hamilton who bats from the precise aspect to assist steadiness the membership’s lefty-heavy lineup. Boston can also be recognized to have some stage of curiosity in prime free agent infielder Alex Bregman, but it surely’s doable that their reported curiosity in Torres may sign a willingness to signal a hitter nearer to the center of the free agent market like Ha-Seong Kim.
