Gleyber Torreswho played the first seven seasons of his big league career at second base for the Yankees, is expected to join the Detroit Tigers as a free agent.

Torres signed a one-year, $15 million contract with the Tigers.

Torres’ departure from the Bronx is no surprise as it was reported that the Yankees were not interested in bringing back the 28-year-old this offseason, who initially joined the organization along with three other players in a deal with the Chicago Cubs connected who came closer Aroldis Chapman Join the North Siders in 2016.

The Yanks have some internal options to fill the void at second base, including a move Jazz Chisholm Jr. Over from third base (with either DJ LeMahieu starting from the third or a possible addition) and using the top perspective Caleb Durbin There.

Torres enjoyed many great moments in the pinstripe jersey, but his streaky bat, questionable baserunning and shaky defense left something to be desired at times, especially in recent seasons.

The 28-year-old started 888 games for New York over the last seven years, including 601 at second base. But last season, Torres led the league with 18 errors — a year after committing 15 — and struggled on offense before finding some footing in the leadoff hole. He finished the season with a 101 OPS+ and 104 wRC+ and hit 15 home runs and 65 RBI with a .257/.330/.378 slash line for a .709 OPS.

Torres never achieved the promise of his first few years in New York, making the All-Star team in each of his first two campaigns and finishing third in AL Rookie of the Tear voting in 2018. In his first 267 games over two years, he totaled 42 doubles, 62 home runs, 167 RBI and slashed .275/.338/.511 for an .849 OPS (125 OPS+).

At the GM meetings in early November, the Yankees’ general manager Brian Cashman called Torres a good baseball player and “one of the reasons we got this far last year.” Discussing the club’s plans for second base at that point, the GM didn’t want to “dissect” Torres’ strengths and weaknesses when asked if his fielding issues would prevent a reunion.

“He’s going to have a lot of conversations with a lot of teams that have needs in that area, and that could include us, you know, who knows,” Cashman said in early November. “But I appreciate his efforts while he was here and he fought through the stretch the way we needed him to. But again, everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, but I’m not going to analyze what’s best for the future.”

“We will obviously make the best decisions we can based on what is available inside or outside. We can import a third baseman and bring over Jazz, we can recruit from within with a guy like Caleb Durbin, for example, who is underwhelming.” We may come across some trade opportunities or free agents in the Arizona Fall League, but I would also like to thank Gleyer for the time he spent here and see you again.

The 24-year-old Durbin, who was added to the 40-man roster in mid-November, had two doubles, a triple, five home runs and 29 stolen bases in 21 Arizona Fall League games. In 82 games with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (his first at that level), he had 23 doubles, 10 home runs and 60 RBI with a slash line of .287/.396/.471 for an OPS of .867.