Toronto Blue Jays Reportedly Showed Interest in Gleyber Torres Prior to Tigers Deal

The Toronto Blue Jays initially “showed strong interest” in second baseman Gleyber Torres before he signed with the Detroit Tigers, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reported Sunday morning.

Torres was the top-ranked second baseman available in free agency this winter. He ultimately landed in Detroit on a one-year, $15 million contract.

The Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Guardians, Los Angeles Angels, San Francisco Giants, Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals were among the other teams linked to Torres.

While Petzold’s report doesn’t specify when Toronto was trying to reel in Torres, it was presumably before they traded for Gold Glove second baseman Andrés Giménez on Dec. 10.

The Blue Jays have missed out on a handful of high-end free agents over the past month, from starting pitchers Max Fried and Corbin Burnes to All-Star sluggers Juan Soto and Teoscar Hernández. Torres wasn’t quite on their level, and Toronto did pivot to a viable alternative in Giménez, but his name still belongs on the growing list.

Torres hit .257 with 15 home runs, 63 RBI, four stolen bases, a .709 OPS and 1.8 WAR across 154 games in 2024. The year before, he hit .273 with 25 home runs, 68 RBI, 13 stolen bases, an .800 OPS and a 2.9 WAR in 158 games.

Over the course of his seven seasons with the New York Yankees, Torres was a .265 hitter with a .774 OPS, averaging 25 home runs, 80 RBI, 10 stolen bases and a 2.9 WAR per 162 games. He placed third in AL Rookie of the Year voting in 2018 and 17th in AL MVP voting in 2019, earning an All-Star nod in both of those years.

Instead of making a one-year commitment to Torres, the Blue Jays have Giménez under contract for $99.3 million over the next five seasons, not including his $23 million club option in 2030. He carries a $10.6 million salary in 2025 – $4.4 million less than Torres’ in Detroit.

Toronto already has a few key players set to hit free agency next winter, namely Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette and Chris Bassitt, so maybe adding the 26-year-old Giménez is a better long-term move than signing the 28-year-old Torres to a prove-it deal.

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