DETROIT – The Detroit Tigers signed former New York Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres on Friday to a $15 million, one-year contract.
The two-time All-Star's deal includes a one-time assignment bonus of $500,000.
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Torres hit .265 with 138 home runs and 441 RBIs in seven seasons with the Yankees, who acquired him from the Chicago Cubs in 2016.
The 28-year-old infielder hit .257 with 15 homers, 63 RBIs and 26 doubles last season while helping the Yankees win the AL East and reach the World Series, where they lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games.
Tigers President of Baseball Operations Scott Harris told reporters Torres — who played shortstop and then second base during his stint with the Yankees — is expected to play second in Detroit while Colt Keith, who played the position for most of last season, will shift to first base.
Torres, a native of Caracas, Venezuela, was originally signed in 2013 by the Cubs and included in a deal in 2016 with Adam Warren, Billy McKinney and Rashad Crawford that sent Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman to Chicago. The Cubs ended up beating Cleveland in the World Series that year, ending a 107-year drought.
Torres moved quickly through the minors and made his major league debut in 2018 with the Yankees. He homered in four straight games as a rookie, and at 21 years and 163 days old, became the youngest player in American League history to accomplish the feat. Torres also was selected for the first of two consecutive All-Star games. He finished third that year in AL Rookie of the Year balloting behind winner Shohei Ohtani and then-teammate Miguel Andújar.
He also was successful in the playoffs for the Yankees, posting a .795 OPS with seven home runs and 25 RBIs in six postseasons for New York. His 16.2% strikeout rate ranks fifth among players with at least 150 postseason plate appearances since the start of the 2018 season.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb