Just last year, MLB insider Jon Heyman reported that the Los Angeles Angels had extended a contract offer to free agent second baseman Gleyber Torres. Torres turned it down and instead signed a one-year deal with the Detroit Tigers.
In 2025, Torres earned his third All-Star nod and played a key role in helping the Tigers reach the ALDS for the second straight season. Now 28, he’s back on the free-agent market, and several teams in need of a second baseman could pursue him.
Once a highly touted prospect in the Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees systems, Torres could once again draw interest from the Angels, who might view him as a middle-of-the-order bat to build around for the long term.
Former Yankees Star’s Game Remains the Same
CBS Sports’ R.J. Anderson ranked Gleyber Torres as the No. 21 free agent available this offseason. In addition to the Angels, Anderson mentioned the San Francisco Giants and a possible return to the Tigers as likely destinations for the 16-homer right-handed hitter.
However, Anderson cautioned that Torres remains largely the same player he’s been in recent seasons, especially defensively.
“Torres made his third All-Star appearance—and his first since 2019—but it wasn’t because he became a dramatically better player,” Anderson wrote. “His biggest adjustment was being more selective at the plate, which helped his walk and contact rates and raised his OPS by nearly 40 points. Otherwise, what was true about him last offseason—his youth, his strength on pitches up and in, and his below-average defense—still applies.”
In 2025, Torres posted -5 Outs Above Average and committed five errors in 512 chances at second base. Fans have often criticized his effort level, pointing to lapses in hustle, careless baserunning, and misplayed routine grounders.
Still, Torres has maintained an OPS+ above league average in seven of his eight full seasons, with the lone exception being 2021, when he hit just nine home runs. Excluding the shortened 2020 campaign, he’s remained a consistently productive hitter throughout his career.
The Angels’ Current Situation at Second Base
In 2025, the Los Angeles Angels relied on Luis Rengifo and rookie Christian Moore to share duties at second base. Despite Rengifo’s versatility and Moore’s status as a top young talent, the position produced only 0.7 fWAR — among the lowest in the league — and posted the second-worst strikeout rate at 27.2%.
Moore debuted on June 13 and batted .198/.284/.370 with seven home runs and a .655 OPS over 53 games. The Angels sent the 23-year-old back to Triple-A Salt Lake in early September, but he returned to the big league roster less than two weeks later. A sprained left thumb in July sidelined him for a few weeks on the 10-day injured list.
“When I first came up, it was tough — dealing with the injury and being in the big leagues while still learning and growing,” Moore told MLB.com’s Manny Randhawa during his September return.
Heading into 2026, the Angels must decide whether to commit to Moore as their everyday second baseman or pursue an external upgrade such as Gleyber Torres.
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