The Detroit Tigers' signing of Gleyber Torres moves Colt Keith to first base

The right side of the Detroit Tigers infield is changing.

The biggest news: Second baseman Colt Keith is moving to first base for the 2025 season, creating a spot for newcomer Gleyber Torres to fill the role of everyday second baseman. Therefore, former No. 1 overall draft pick Spencer Torkelson will likely end up at Triple-A Toledo to start the season.

The Tigers signed Torres — a 28-year-old right-hander who spent the first seven seasons of his MLB career with the New York Yankees — to a one-year, $15 million contract on Friday. The deal includes a $500,000 signing bonus that only applies if the Tigers trade Torres to another team.

THE OFFER:Tigers sign infielder Gleyber Torres to a one-year, $15 million contract

“We believe he can get better on both sides of the ball,” president of baseball operations Scott Harris said Friday. “Gleyber believes that too. He’s had plenty of opportunities to go other places on longer contracts than he bargained for, but his agents were very open with me about his desire to bet on himself, and honestly, that’s what made me want him wanting more.”

The Tigers designated left-hander Bailey Horn, whom they claimed off waivers from the Boston Red Sox in mid-November, to make room for Torres on the 40-man roster.

The 40-man squad remains full.

“We were very aggressive in trying to get it,” Harris said of signing Torres to a one-year deal. “I spent most of Christmas Eve on the phone, which my family didn’t really like, but we feel like we’ve gotten better. Adding Gleyber made us better.”

By signing Torres, the Tigers secured the right side of their infield on Opening Day 2025 with Torres at second base and Keith at first base, both serving as everyday players.

In 2024, Torres hit .257 with 15 home runs, 65 walks (9.8% walk rate) and 136 strikeouts (20.5% strikeout rate) in 154 games playing exclusively at second base. On defense, he was minus-11 defensive runs saved and minus-4 outs above average.

Harris called Torkelson and Keith before Torres’ signing became official.

“I wanted them to hear it directly from me,” Harris said.

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Torkelson was the Tigers’ primary first baseman the past three seasons, but poor performances led to two demotions to Triple-A Toledo. The 25-year-old boasts a disappointing .221 batting average with a .693 OPS in 361 games during his MLB career, which has spanned 1,469 plate appearances.

Going forward, Keith replaced Torkelson at first base.

“My message to Tork was: If you have a big offseason and a big spring training, there is a role for you on this team,” Harris said. “This team needs more right-handed power, and we’ve seen that with Tork in the past.”

The only way for Torkelson to earn a spot on the Tigers’ Opening Day roster is to serve as the primary designated hitter and backup first baseman. He will not be introduced to new positions.

Meanwhile, Keith has been taking ground balls at first base since the start of the offseason. The 23-year-old communicated with infield coach Joey Cora and worked particularly on footwork around the base and decision-making with throws.

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He already has experience at third base, but won’t play there because of injury concerns with the labrum in his right shoulder.

In 2025, Keith will play first base for the first time in his professional career.

“When I told him that, he was immediately excited,” Harris said. “He was like, ‘Hey, I play everywhere. I just want to win.’ It was a reminder of the selflessness I see in many of our players that gives us a real advantage.”

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Matt Vierling, Jace Jung and Zach McKinstry are the frontrunners in competition for playing time at third base, while Javier Báez and Trey Sweeney are vying for platoon roles at shortstop, with Sweeney facing right-handed pitchers.

The Tigers have concerns about Jung’s defense at third base.

It’s unclear if the Tigers remain interested in free agent third baseman Alex Bregman.

“I can’t comment on any current free agents,” Harris said when asked about Bregman. “All I can tell you is that we are already working on getting better. We’re trying to find ways to make this organization better. We feel like we’ve already done it with Alex Cobb and Gleyber Torres, but we’re going to find ways to do it better and better.

“If you remember, we signed guys when we were in Lakeland last year and the year before. We will continue working. You know me – I can’t really sit on my hands, so I’ll do it.” Try to continue to help this group get better. But I really like where we are right now.

Contact or follow Evan Petzold at [email protected] @EvanPetzold.

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The Detroit Tigers’ signing of Gleyber Torres moves Colt Keith to first base

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