Gleyber Torres (28), who was in charge of second baseman with the New York Yankees this season, has been confirmed to move to the Detroit Tigers.메이저놀이터

"The Tigers have been looking for right-handed hitters to strengthen their lineup, which has a lot of left-handed hitters in the offseason," the Major League's official website MLB.com reported on the 28th (Korea Standard Time). "We took that first step by signing a one-year, $15 million (about 22.1 billion won) contract with FA infielder Gleyber Torres on Friday."

The media said, "Tores has performed variously during his seven-year MLB career with the Yankees. He hit 38 home runs in 2019 and recorded 62 home runs in his first two seasons in the Major League, and 49 home runs in 2022 (24 home runs) and 2023 (25 home runs). Last season, he was sluggish with only 15 home runs with .257/.330/.378, but he was a leading hitter in the powerful Yankees lineup with .306/.375/.418 in the last two months."

With Torres' transfer to Detroit, it is more likely that Kim Ha-sung's previously mentioned trip to the Yankees will become a reality. On the 25th, New York's local media "Empire Sports Media" claimed that "Kim Ha-sung is the right player for the Yankees." Citing Kim Ha-sung as one of the second baseman options that the Yankees can consider, the media explained, "He provides two qualities that the Yankees highly value, speed and defense that will change the game."

The very next day, on the 26th, the U.S. media "Spotting News" said, "The Yankees, who lost Juan Soto, did almost everything they could to make up for the short space. Now there is only one hole left," adding, "Torres has taken over the past 10 years as the Yankees' second baseman, but he is now an FA. The resources that the Yankees really need for this position (second baseman) are solid gloves that can support the pitching staff," predicting Kim Ha-sung's likely destination.

The media continued, "For the Yankees, the biggest advantage of recruiting Kim Ha-sung is that he can play all infield positions. If he can play Gold Glove defense by playing as a sixth batter or seventh batter, it will be a great addition to the Yankees," and added, "Kim Ha-sung recently completed a four-year, $28 million contract with the San Diego Padres. In this FA, he will be able to receive a similar amount of money for a two-year contract. If he recovers quickly from shoulder surgery, he will be able to play in the opening game, so a short-term contract (with Kim Ha-sung) can be a big success."

Kim Ha-sung, who had his best season with a batting average of 0.260 17 home runs, 60 RBIs and 38 steals in 152 games in 2023 and a gold glove in the NL utility category, was evaluated as a reserve FA resource with more than $100 million in contracts ahead of this season.

However, in the 2024 season, Kim Ha-sung took charge of San Diego's main shortstop, and his performance fell to a batting average of 0.233, 11 homers, 47 RBIs, 22 steals, and an OPS of 0.700 in 121 games. In addition, Kim Ha-sung's value declined as he injured his shoulder and underwent surgery against the Colorado Rockies on August 19. In reality, long-term contracts seem difficult, and there are prospects that he will sign a short-term contract for one to two years with a team that wants to reinforce the infield and enter the FA market again.