Gleyber Torres Will Make The Yankees Regret Moving On

Gleyber Torres is in Detroit these days as everyone knows. And honestly? I hate it. 

I didn’t want him to leave, and I really don’t like the way he was treated in New York. There, I said it. It always felt like the kid had to be perfect out there—one mistake, one mini-slump, and suddenly the fans, and sometimes even the Yankees’ front office, were ready to throw him under the bus. Meanwhile, other guys could struggle, take their time adjusting, and get a free pass. Not Gleyber. Even this past postseason, when he was getting on base left and right, did he get the credit he deserved? Nope.

Now, following his departure—one that Brian Cashman made sure to throw a little shade on by saying Torres “refused” to move to third base—Gleyber’s taking the high road. “To be honest, I don’t know what’s going on there,” he told The Athletic. “I believed everything was good, but (now) I think no. So I don’t want to give any comments. … Whatever they have, they have. I’m just focusing on my goals this year, how to get better and help my team.”

You can tell he’s hurt, and I don’t blame him. Early on, he was a huge part of the Yankees’ family, but over time, it felt like he fell out of that “circle of trust.” Now, he’s in Detroit, betting on himself with the Tigers. “I always bet on myself,” he said. “In this process, I tried to find the right place to play for one year. I got a few opportunities with other teams, but the young team in Detroit, the group looks like a family.”

Tigers’ manager A.J. Hinch is excited to have him. “Gleyber can be a good defensive player, and he will be,” Hinch said. “I think his work with Joey, partly in this offseason and into this spring, is going to be front and center. We feel like he can tap into his athleticism even more. He obviously needs to improve going to his left, if you look at his defensive evaluations. Playing a premium position up the middle, it’s going to be important.” I am no Hinch fan, but it must be nice to have a manager actually compliment Gleyber. Boone was too busy glazing Cole and Judge. 

You know what? I predict Torres is going to have a monster year in Detroit. I hope he rakes, plays his heart out, and reminds everyone just how good he is. The Yankees may have let him go, but I’ll always appreciate what he brought to the team. Wishing him nothing but the absolute best—he deserves it.