Second baseman Gleyber Torres, currently under a one-year contract with the Detroit Tigers worth $15 million, aired his disappointment with his previous team, the New York Yankees, through a social media post on Friday. Born and bred in Caracas, Venezuela, Torres was scouted and signed by the Chicago Cubs in 2013 when he was just 16 years old. This contractual engagement lasted three years before Torres became a part of a bargain trade for the Yankees’ star reliever, Aroldis Chapman. Torres has been associated with the Yankees ever since, until his recent shift to the Tigers.
Torres had a remarkable start to his professional career getting his big break in 2018 when the American League recognized him as an All-Star, and he came third in the Rookie of the Year ballot. Against this backdrop of success, his detachment from the Yankees in 2024 and subsequent entrance into free agency without any attempt from the team to retain him arrived as an unexpected twist. The motivations behind this estrangement weren’t entirely discernable, but Torres’ recent actions may have provided some clues.
Torres officially donned the Tigers’ colors a few days after Christmas, upon agreeing to his latest contract terms. Though he has moved on, he seems to maintain keen awareness of the Yankees’ affairs. His interest intensified when the Yankees’ long-standing general manager, Brian Cashman, gave an interview where he seemed to hint that Torres’ refusal to switch his position to third base was the primary reason for his exit from the team. This insinuation provoked a defensive response from the 28-year-old former Yankee.
During his interview, Cashman revealed, ‘I had brought in (Jazz) Chisholm to take on the second base role.’ He added, ‘But due to Torres’ predilection, the plan had to be reassessed, turning the situation over to Aaron Boone’s discretion.’ With Torres’ departure, the Yankees now find themselves struggling to fill the roles of the genuine second and third basemen, although Chisholm seems to be the likely candidate for the former.
Cashman’s subtle jab did not go unnoticed by Torres, who swiftly fired back through a post on his X (previously known as Twitter) account. His terse response read, ‘Still? ?? just turn.’ In Torres’ view, it was time to ‘turn the page,’ indicating his supposed indifference and implied humor to the ongoing stir.
The managing editor of Bleeding Yankee Blue, while commenting on the tussle, opined, ‘Torres’ retort isn’t entirely unjustified. He’s frequently been the scapegoat in the last couple of seasons, drawing criticism while other Yankees have escaped public scrutiny.’ However, he emphasized the greater team need: ‘To secure championships, a team needs players who prioritize the collective goal above their own, regardless of their playing position. If the Yankees envisaged third base as the best fit for Torres at that time, acceptance of the challenge was expected from him.’
The saga continued, but without any public acknowledgement from Cashman about Torres’ social media response to his comments. Also, Torres seems to have moved past the issue as he deleted the controversial post from his account soon after.