Gleyber Torres is returning to the Detroit Tigers for the 2026 season.
The 28-year-old second baseman accepted the $22.03 million qualifying offer from the Tigers on Tuesday, Nov. 18, before the 4 p.m. deadline, pulling his name out of free agency, according to a person with knowledge of the decision who spoke on the condition of anonymity because it’s not official. He has opted for a one-year deal rather than testing the market for a multi-year contract.
Four of the 13 players who received qualifying offers accepted: Torres, Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Brandon Woodruff, Chicago Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga and New York Yankees center fielder Trent Grisham.
Only 18 of 157 players have accepted the qualifying offer since the system was implemented in 2012, with Torres and Grisham becoming the first position players to do so since 2022.
A player can only receive a qualifying offer once in his career, which means Torres is not eligible for it at any point in the future.
He is set to become a free agent after the 2026 season.
In 2025, Torres – a three-time All-Star in his eight-year MLB career – hit .256 with 16 home runs, 85 walks and 101 strikeouts in 145 games. He hit .281 with an .812 OPS in 84 games in the first half, then .223 with a .659 OPS in 61 games in the second half.
Torres experienced his worst month in September.
He underwent surgery in late October for a sports hernia after playing injured for about a month, covering the end of the regular season and the postseason. He is expected to be cleared for full baseball activities in late November or early December.
The Tigers signed Torres to a one-year, $15 million contract in December 2024.
Before joining the Tigers, Torres spent his first seven seasons with the Yankees. The Yankees didn’t extend a qualifying offer to him last offseason, which kept him eligible to receive one from the Tigers this offseason.
Torres, who turns 29 in mid-December, owns a .264 batting average with a .770 OPS across his 1,033-game MLB career with the Yankees (2018-24) and Tigers (2025), posting above-average marks in both walk rate (9.7%) and strikeout rate (19.7%).
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This story will be updated.
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