The Tigers confirmed their signing of Gleyber Torres, which could affect the Boston Red Sox.
Detroit on Friday signed the former New York Yankees infielder to a one-year, $15 million contract. To make room on its 40-man roster, former Red Sox pitcher Bailey Horn was designated for assignment.
President of baseball operations Scott Harris confirmed Torres would play second base and Colt Keith would move to first base. It’s unknown what that means for Spencer Torkelson, but the infield moves would mean Jace Jung is penciled in at third base; Torres turned down a deal from the Washington Nationals because he did not want to play the hot corner, according to the New York Post’s Jon Heyman.
The Tigers, along with the Red Sox, are linked to Alex Bregman, who they realistically still could sign. However, that means a young bat like Jace Jung wouldn’t get the playing time he and the team ideally would want. Harris offered a brief word on Detroit’s interest in Bregman.
“I can’t comment on any free agent. I can just tell you we are already working to continue to get better,” Harris told reporters, per Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. “We are trying to find ways to make this organization better. … But I really like where we’re at right now.”
So not a whole lot of information to work off of. It’s possible the Torres signing was a pivot from Bregman, which would bode well for the Red Sox. However, the Tigers made a surprise run to the American League Division Series in 2024 and are built for a repeat postseason run. Bregman could be the veteran leader to help lead the club’s next generation.
Of course, that logic also applies to Boston. Bregman has relationships with A.J. Hinch and Alex Cora so neither club has a significant manager advantage when it comes to preference. Bregman’s destination will come down to which club is more appealing to the two-time World Series champion.
