Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- A second baseman for a playoff contender, Gleyber Torres, could draw trade interest from the two-time defending NL champions — the Dodgers.
- Torres has shown steady production and has playoff experience but recently landed on the injured list with an oblique strain.
- The potential deal hinges on his health and the Dodgers' willingness to gamble on a key bat for their postseason push.
Nearly a decade into a fine big-league career, Detroit Tigers second baseman Gleyber Torres’ lone World Series action came against the Los Angeles Dodgers. It’d certainly be fitting, then, if Torres returned to the Fall Classic in a Dodgers uniform — so long as the two-time defending champions aren’t afraid to gamble on his health.
Torres hit the injured list again on Wednesday, this time with another left oblique injury. Tigers manager A.J. Hinch told reporters the injury is in the same general region as his previous oblique strain.
“I felt like I’ve been playing really good,” Torres said. “I try to not be emotional, but at this moment it’s kind of hard.”
The reward might nonetheless outweigh the risk for the Dodgers, and we suggest they maintain any current interest in the three-time All-Star.
Gleyber Torres and the Dodgers are a perfect trade match
Torres has quietly been reliable, owning a .280 average and a .790 OPS over 190 plate appearances. He’s reaching base at a career-best .395 clip, and his OPS is his highest since 2023.
Perhaps most importantly, the 29-year-old Torres is playing on the qualifying offer. He’ll reach free agency entering his age-30 season and should have no problem earning a multi-year contract.
Torres’ game has gradually evolved, and not solely because he’s never come close to matching his 38 home runs in the juiced-ball 2019 season. He’s walked in nearly 14% of his plate appearances for the Tigers the last two years, considerably up from his career 10.0% walk rate.
Although he frequently came under fire for his effort and inconsistency with the Yankees, Torres deserves credit for adapting upon joining the Tigers. He’s no longer trying to hit home runs every time he comes to the plate, and the results also include considerable improvements in his strikeout rate.
Torres knows what it means to play on a World Series contender, and he has a .779 OPS over 53 career playoff games. He’d slot into an already-loaded Dodgers lineup needing one more reliable hitter.
However, Torres’ health might throw a wrench into things, especially if he suffers any setbacks within the coming weeks. Hinch said Wednesday he doesn’t expect Torres to miss a significant amount of time.
Given the state of their roster and a commanding nine-game NL West lead, the Dodgers can afford (pun not intended, we promise) to trade for Torres and give him the occasional rest day.
All that matters is that Torres is healthy when the playoffs begin. So long as the Dodgers trust that’ll be the case, we recommend moving on Torres before other contenders get the same idea.
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