Latest news with #Gleyber
Reuters
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Casey Mize shines as AL-leading Tigers edge Guardians
July 6 - Spencer Torkelson hit a solo home run and Casey Mize pitched seven dominant innings in a combined four-hitter as the visiting Detroit Tigers edged the Cleveland Guardians 1-0 on Saturday night. Torkelson went deep in the second inning against Logan Allen (5-7), sending his 20th homer of the year onto the shelf in right field. American League-leading Detroit has won five of its last seven games and is 12 1/2 ahead of second-place Minnesota in the AL Central. Mize (9-2) scattered four hits over a season-high 102 pitches, one short of his career high. The right-hander walked two and struck out four while not allowing a runner to reach third base. Brant Hurter pitched a 1-2-3 eighth and Tommy Kahnle allowed a two-out walk to Daniel Schneemann in the ninth before striking out Kyle Manzardo for his ninth save. The Guardians dropped their ninth in a row, matching their longest losing streak since a nine-gamer in 2021. Cleveland has been outscored 41-13 during the skid, being shut out five times and held to less than three runs in seven of the games. Torkelson had both Tigers hits against four Guardians pitchers, coming within five feet of another homer in the fourth after sending a ball high off the wall in left for a long single. Allen worked six innings, giving up one run on two hits. The left-hander struck out five and walked two but lost his third straight start -- all at home, where the Guardians were booed throughout the evening. Tigers All-Star second baseman Gleyber Torres exited the game with a bruised neck after an inning-ending collision with the elbow of Cleveland's Brayan Rocchio in the first. Torres was running toward second on a grounder hit by teammate Riley Greene when Rocchio received an off-target throw from second baseman Angel Martinez. Rocchio caught the ball, but his elbow struck Torres on the face as he slid short of the bag. He remained prone on the dirt for several minutes before leaving the field. --Field Level Media
New York Times
17-02-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Tigers' Gleyber Torres turns the page on way to prove-it season in Detroit
LAKELAND, Fla. — It was Feb. 7 when Gleyber Torres posted the following on X. 'Still? Just turn (the page).' The post, complete with snoozing and laughing emojis, has since been deleted. But it was a clear reference to comments Yankees general manager Brian Cashman made on YES Network. 'When I acquired Jazz (Chisholm),' Cashman said, 'I acquired Jazz to be our second baseman and move Gleyber to third the rest of last year. Advertisement '(Manager Aaron Boone) wanted to do it the other way. He moved Jazz to third after we got him and Gleyber to second … Gleyber didn't want to move to third, (he) was unwilling.' The back and forth caused a stir in Yankees world. Traded from the Cubs to the Yankees as a prospect in 2016, Torres came of age in New York. In 2019, he hit 38 home runs as a 22–year-old. He spent all of his seven-year MLB career in the Bronx. Though he had his share of frustrating moments, he also helped the Yankees get back to the World Series. So after a long relationship, was Torres leaving New York with a bitter taste in his mouth? Good morning Gleyber 🌴 — Detroit Tigers (@tigers) February 17, 2025 Speaking from his new locker inside the Detroit Tigers clubhouse Monday morning, Torres wasn't flipping back to that page. 'To be honest, I don't know what's going on there,' Torres said. '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.' Now playing in Detroit on a one-year, $15 million deal, Torres arrived for the first full-squad day of spring training wearing Chanel earrings and rocking a well-groomed beard. The Yankees' facial hair policy no longer applies. 'My wife really liked it,' Torres said of the beard. 'My family really liked it. First time I've done my beard, and I'm really happy to play with it.' Torres may have a slightly different look this season, but the Tigers hope his steadiness at the plate does not alter. Detroit reconfigured its infield — moving Colt Keith to first base — largely because of an affinity for Torres. He has a career .334 on-base percentage. Because he had not received a qualifying offer, he did not cost a draft pick to sign. At only 28 years old, there is still upside. If Torres were to mash this year, the Tigers could extend the qualifying offer and receive a draft pick if Torres cashes in elsewhere. Advertisement On a team craving offense, particularly from the right side, Torres checks a major box for the Tigers. He rarely chases. He takes his walks. He's capable of hitting for power. Although his defense and baserunning can at times be head-scratching, he might not have received enough love this winter. For reference, let's compare his FanGraphs' ZiPS projection with another notable infielder: Gleyber Torres: .260/.335/.402, 17 HR, 3.0 fWAR Alex Bregman: .252/.333/.430, 22 HR, 3.9 fWAR Bregman's glove makes him the superior player, and for the Tigers, two hitters would obviously be better than one. But the point here is that Torres' offensive production could easily rival what the Tigers would have gotten from Bregman. Torres is here on a one-year, prove-it deal. He talked in December about making a point to seek a one-year contract in hopes of upping his value next offseason. 'I always bet on myself,' Torres said. 'In this process, I tried to find the right place to play one year. I got a few opportunities with other teams, but the young team in Detroit, the group looks like a family.' Torres received positive reviews on the Tigers from former Yankees teammate Gio Urshela, who played with Detroit last season. Torres and Urshela co-own a hitting facility in Tampa and are close friends. As a native of Venezuela, Torres is among a generation of players who grew up idolizing Miguel Cabrera. The selling points were there, and Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris spent most of Christmas Eve on the phone completing this deal. Tigers hitting coaches Michael Brdar and Lance Zawadzki visited Torres soon after the signing. Dependable as he is offensively, it's worth noting Torres' average exit velocity and hard-hit rates have declined in each of the past two seasons. 'We were able to kind of get started with some hitting adjustments to get him a little more stable in the box and continue to push him to be better,' Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. Advertisement Now officially a member of the Tigers, Torres worked out Monday as the lone player taking reps at second base. He projects to hit in the top half of Detroit's lineup, though he'll likely hit in different spots based on matchups. Defense, meanwhile, will be a chief focus this spring. Torres had conversations with Tigers third-base and infield coach Joey Cora this winter. One of Cora's messages fit his aggressive caricature: 'Be ready for running, because we're running a lot.' But the Tigers also heard Torres' side of things. Got to know him and what makes him tick. 'The call that Joey Cora and I had with him prior to signing to him, I thought was enlightening,' Hinch said, 'listening to him and what he thinks he needs to do to be better, specifically on defense.' Monday, Torres and Cora officially began their work together. Torres was worth minus-11 defensive runs saved at second base last season. His 18 errors were the most of any MLB second baseman. Keith ranked second with 12. Good as the Tigers' pitching staff was last season, the Tigers ranked only 14th in K%. They have several pitchers who profile as extreme groundball arms. Torres and Keith sharing one side of the infield, then, is a concern — especially considering Torres graded out at minus-5 outs above average last season when moving toward first base. '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 get to his athleticism a little bit better. He obviously needs to get better going to his left, if you look at the defensive evaluation of him. Playing a premium position up the middle, it's going to be important for him to stay focused on the little, incremental things he can do to be an effective defender.' Advertisement Imperfect as he is, Torres also comes to Detroit with a reputation as a positive presence. Hinch said he talked with several former coaches and teammates before the team signed Torres. 'Just trying to learn the person,' Hinch said. 'He's very humble. He's very approachable. He's very open. The dialogue has been extremely good.' Torres and Javier Báez knew each other from their days with the Cubs. And though Torres is just now getting to know shortstop Trey Sweeney, he said Monday he hopes to arrange lunch or dinner with his potential double-play partner. 'Just build more of a relationship, like brothers,' Torres said. 'When you got a relationship like that on the infield, I think everything goes better.' The relationship building is underway, and so is the baseball. Monday on the Lakeland backfields, sunny but with a chilly breeze, Torres was pivoting on double plays, kicking his leg and tacking hacks in the cage. Consider old pages turned. Now with the Tigers, Torres begins a new chapter. 'Hyped. Excited,' Torres said. 'I think this is gonna be the year I have to get better. I'm a player who wants to be better every time. I got a beautiful opportunity here.'
