The Cleveland Guardians need more offense, and Gleyber Torres could help with that. However, does that automatically make him a good fit for the team?
The question this offseason isn’t if the Cleveland Guardians need more offense; it’s where that offense will come from.
One upcoming free agent who will become an immediate upgrade in Cleveland’s lineup is Gleyber Torres. Yes, the 29-year-old has spent his entire career on two of the Guardians’ biggest rivals, the New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers, but Cleveland should be willing to put that behind them to add a player of his caliber.
Cleveland was even reportedly interested in the veteran ahead of the 2025 season.
Last year, Torres recorded a .256/.358/.387 slash line, including an OPS of .745 and a wRC+ of 113. He also fits the mold of hitters the Guardian typically seeks out: making smart swing decisions. In 2025, Torres had a chase rate of just 17.1 percent, which ranked in the 100th percentile, and a walk rate of 13.5 percent.
Torres would also be a perfect fit for the Guardians, considering he’s a righty-hitter and had an OPS of .896 against left-handed pitchers. Cleveland desperately needs some more right-handed bats, and the veteran would fill that void.
Obviously, Torres’ offensive ability makes him a good fit with the Guardians. MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand even mentioned Cleveland as a “potential fit” heading into the offseason.
That said, the defensive fit is where it gets complicated.
Torres has largely been a second baseman during his career, but run prevention has never been one of his strengths. Last year, Torres had a feidling run value of negative three and ranked in the 12th percentile in outs above average with negative five.
Not to mention, while an argument can be made that Clevleand could have an open spot at second base to begin the 2026 season, Travis Bazzana should quickly be in consideration to make his MLB debut.
Maybe Torres would be alright with being more of a designated hitter if he were to join the Guardians.
Based on the hitter Torres has been throughout his career, if the Guardians do think he could help, it would still make sense for the Guardians to convince the free agent to stay in the division and figure out how all the pieces fit later on.