Tigers' Torres happy to be with 'an organization that wants me'

Veteran infielder Gleyber Torres is happy to be with the Detroit Tigers after an up-and-down seven-year stint with the New York Yankees.

"I feel I deserve to be with an organization that wants me," Torres said, according to the New York Post's Dan Martin. "I'm here now, and that's the reason I'm here."

Torres signed a one-year, $15-million contract with the Tigers in December. The 28-year-old will start at second base, something that became an issue during his final season in New York.

The Yankees tried to move Torres to third base after acquiring Jazz Chisholm to take over at second last season. But Torres was unwilling, forcing New York to shift Chisholm to the hot corner.

Torres reiterated that he views himself as a second baseman.

"I don't play third base," he said. "I play second."

The two-time All-Star is hoping to rediscover his stroke at the plate. Torres has registered a .743 OPS since the start of the 2020 campaign after posting a .849 OPS in his first two MLB seasons.

He's eager to put his stint with the Yankees behind him and is embracing a new opportunity in Detroit.

"I don't pay attention to what's going on over there," Torres said. "I just want to do my job here. I have to prove many things to teams and myself. It's a new journey for me, and I have to fix some things and be more consistent defensively and on offense."