Tigers' All-Star free agent labeled 'perfect transaction' for Royals this offseason

As the Kansas City Royals look to figure out who they're going to add to the roster for the 2026 campaign, everyone has a different idea of what would be best.

While the team has officially started reshaping the roster, their first move was hardly an earth-shaker. However, going out and getting Gleyber Torres would certainly count as a much bigger deal.

The second baseman hasn't really been on the Royals' fans' radar this fall as far as a body the team should pick up. However, ESPN's Jeff Passan believes the infielder could be a "perfect fit" for KC as they look to add some offense to a lineup that already has a solid foundation.

The Kansas City Royals' 'perfect fit' in Gleyber Torres would come at a high price

"The Royals need bats to surround Bobby Witt Jr., Vinnie Pasquantino, Maikel Garcia, Salvador Perez, and a pair of young hitters with immense promise, Jac Caglianone and Carter Jensen," Passan wrote.

"The biggest impact, though, could come via what they tried to do last year in trading for Jonathan India: get a high-on-base second baseman who can lead off with professional at-bats -- presumably with Version 2.0 of the idea working better than the first," he wrote.

Torres, who spent his entire career with the New York Yankees before moving to the Detroit Tigers last season, has some pop in his bat, especially for a second baseman. He slashed .256/.358/.387 in 2025 with 16 homers and posted a 2.9 WAR, which is one of the better totals in his career.

There are a couple of catches for KC if they decide to pursue Torres. The first is that the Detroit Tigers have issued him a qualifying offer. That means that should the Royals sign Torres, they'd have to surrender their third-highest selection in the 2026 draft. Because of competitive balance picks, that doesn't necessarily mean 3rd round and could be relatively high.

There's also the fact that Torres is said to be looking at what other teams are offering before he decides whether to take the $22 million QO. In other words, should the Kansas City Royals decide they want to go get Gleyber Torres, it's going to mean spending quite a bit of cash and getting into a bidding war to boot.

Time will tell whether or not the wrinkles in a potential Torres deal will deter J.J. Picollo an Co. from going after Torres, but statistically Passan's "perfect transaction" title makes a lot of sense.