Fresh beard, fresh start for Torres, with glovework a focus

LAKELAND, Fla. -- The sight of Gleyber Torres with a beard was the first sign of his fresh start as the Tigers began full-squad workouts Monday morning. He couldn’t grow that during the season over his seven-year tenure with the Yankees, of course.

“My wife really likes it. My son really likes it,” he said Monday. “First time.”

The other sign Torres was ready to move on came when he was asked about comments earlier this month from Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, who said he had acquired Jazz Chisholm Jr. last year to play second base but that Torres was unwilling to change positions.

“To be honest, I don’t know what’s going on there,” Torres said. “I was believing everything was good, but I think not. I don’t want to give any comments, just turn the page. Whatever they have, they have. I’m just focused on my goals this year to get better and help my team.”

The Tigers are Torres’ team now after he signed a one-year, $15 million contract in December. It’s an opportunity for him to build a rebound season and regain market value. But as Torres talked about his opportunity, he spoke more about the team’s situation than his own, discussing how Detroit’s incredible late-season run to the playoffs caught his attention and attracted him to sign.

“I’m just a simple guy. I want to give 100 percent every time I play, try to help the team win and do everything for the team,” Torres said. “What they did last year was amazing, and the Tigers showed the fans they can win. I just came here to help that mentality, the mentality of winning, first go to the postseason and then try to go to the World Series.”

Monday started the journey. While Detroit's infielders worked on the back fields at Tigertown, Torres took ground balls and double plays at second base and chatted with infield coach Joey Cora. Hall of Fame shortstop and Tigers special assistant Alan Trammell wasn’t far away.

Torres said he’d been talking with Cora by phone during the offseason after signing, discussing his strengths and weaknesses defensively and how he can improve. Torres is all ears. It’s obvious he wants to stay at second base, but he knows the criticisms and wants to address them head-on.

“Since the first day I signed, we’ve had conversation, passing on information on what I like and where he can help me,” Torres said. “Today was the first day I worked out here with him. Early work, everything is going well. It’s going to be a long season, and it’s going to be a lot of work. I know my weakness, and I just come here to do my job and get better and help the team. I know Cora can do those things for me and help me.”

Torres rated at -4 Outs Above Average last year at second base, according to Statcast. He rated positively on plays coming in and plays moving to his right, but negatively on plays moving towards first base and plays moving back. He has not rated positively in OAA in a season in his MLB career.

But Torres has manager A.J. Hinch among his believers that he can reverse that.

“Gleyber can be a good defensive player, and he will be,” Hinch said. “I think his work with Joey, partly in the offseason and into this spring, is going to be front and center, and we feel like he can get to his athleticism a little better. He obviously needs to get better going to his left, if you look at the defensive evaluations of him. Playing a premium position up the middle, it’s going to be important for him to stay focused on the incremental things that he can do to be an effective defender.”

Torres’ offensive contributions are more obvious. The question for the Tigers is how to use them, whether to have him set the table for more traditional run producers like the Yankees did down the stretch last year or put him in RBI positions in the lineup.

“What I love about wherever he hits is that the quality at-bat travels with him,” Hinch said. “He doesn’t need to be a different hitter, whether I hit him at the top, in the middle or anywhere else. He is a guy who’s used to hitting in an important spot, and I would expect him to factor in the top half of the lineup, especially against left-handed pitching.”