Tigers Slugger Considered Free Agent with Highest Bust Potential

According to Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report, second baseman Gleyber Torres is one of the top seven free agents in MLB with the highest bust potential. When the 28-year-old infielder entered the Major Leagues with the New York Yankees, he was explosive offensively.

His debut came in April of 2018, and that year, he finished the season with 24 homers and 77 RBIs, slashing .271/.340/.480 through 123 games. The following year, he posted 38 home runs, 90 RBIs and slashed .278/.337/.535 across 144 games. From then on, things seemed to plummet for the hopeful young star, but he started to rise again once he landed with Detroit.

Fast forward to his 2025 campaign with the Tigers, Torres appeared in 145 games, recording 16 home runs, 74 RBIs and slashed .256/.358/.387, with a bit of a dip in the second half of his season.

"Torres did have right sports hernia surgery after Detroit was eliminated from the playoffs, something that clearly contributed to his second-half swoon. Still, there are too many fluctuations in his performance to feel comfortable giving the soon-to-be 29-year-old a long-term deal, especially if he declines the QO," Kelly wrote.

Per Jason Beck of MLB.com, Torres has until Tuesday to accept the one-year, $22.025 million qualifying offer the Tigers tendered him after the World Series. If Torres accepts the offer, he'll return to Detroit in 2026. If he declines, he'll move into free agency, though it's still possible he and the Tigers could agree to a new deal. If Detroit loses him to another team it would receive draft pick compensation.

The qualifying offer he received was the first that Detroit has issued in over a decade, the last being to Max Scherzer and Victor Martinez. While a one-year deal with Torres may be more palatable, even at the qualifying offer, a long-term deal for Torres could be risky.